The Empty Solution
by ArmoredCoreNineBall
Summary: Sequel to IGW. Winter Break has finally arrived, but a certain blonde cabal boss appears to drag Touma away into another conflict very reminiscent of a certain war. Meeting with some old friends as well making some new ones, he makes his way to the United Kingdom to deal with the efforts of a certain cabal, but their plan leads into a much more complicated situation.
1. Rest is Just a Myth

**Alright boys and girls... I have returned once more.**

 **Just a few things before we begin: This is a Sequel to another story I have written, called "The Illegal Grail War," those who haven't read that probably should, otherwise there is going to be a lot of confusion here.**

 **Second; some may have gotten used to my upload schedule of One chapter every Two days, but this won't be following that structure... mostly because unlike previous works, this one is still under production/being written, but since I am 2/3rds of the way finished, I felt it was safe to start uploading. The upload schedule will vary, but may speed up when the story is fully written and proofread properly.**

 **Third, this one may take a bit longer to get going than before, and I apologize for that. Some people may cry foul when certain elements for causing the situation at hand is reused here, but I hope that the things that have changed will be enough to warrant it or at least make-up for it.**

 **Alright, that's really it. For those curious about when this story takes place, It is still Post-Unlimited Blade Works, as before, but for the Index timeline, it is right after NT 15, but before the Element attack of NT 16. I like putting my works in reasonable places in the Index timeline, as I'm sure you've noticed by now.**

 **That's enough from me... you folks are here for a story, right!? Let's get this party started! Enjoy!**

* * *

"No matter how many times stuff like this happens… Nothing ever changes… Such misfortune…" A boy muttered to himself as he lay down on a bed. He looked up at the grey ceiling and sighed deeply. A normal person would be losing their mind right now, but the unlucky boy known as Kamijou Touma is more than used to situations like this.

His entire life has been nothing but an endless cycle of misfortune. Not even after an Illegal Holy Grail War, the St. Germain attack, a Magic God Invasion, and a series of events following the World Rejecter, has this changed. Though he doubted he had seen the last of Kamisato Kakeru, at the moment, especially when Kakeru was still missing his own right hand, things seemed to have returned to some form of normalcy in this cold month of December. But even in these calmer times, Touma's life remains riddled with hardship.

And this situation is no different.

For he is currently locked away inside an Anti-Skill jail-cell, under arrest over an incident that he had little to do with, at least unless you count some unintended human contact.

"Wonder if I used this, if he'd bust me out…?" Touma held up his left hand and looked at a mark on it. It was red, but part of it was faded away. It was a Command Seal he acquired through unknown means from a Holy Grail War he was involved with awhile back. It tied him to a certain eccentric Heroic Spirit dressed in gold, and he could use it to forcefully recall that spirit to his side if he wanted. It had two uses left before the seal would fade completely.

"…Yeah right; knowing him he would just skewer me for interrupting whatever it is he's doing. And even if he did let me out, Anti-Skill would be all over me… yeah; that wouldn't work out either way." Touma rejected the idea and put his hand back down. He looked back up at the ceiling above him and let his mind wander a bit, reflecting on the events that transpired just an hour or so go.

 **-Underground Mall, 1 Hour and 13 Minutes Ago-**

"So it releases today, right!?" Aogami shouted in an excited tone. Kamijou Touma, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, and Aogami Pierce walked down the somewhat busy mall at a casual pace.

"Yes sir! Limited Special Edition! Only five-hundred copies in existence… and me and you both got it!" Tsuchimikado replied high-fiving Aogami cheerfully, while Touma seemed to carry a sullen expression.

"Have fun you two… I couldn't even afford the standard version… I'm basically here for moral support…" Touma moaned.

"Don't worry, Kami-yan! I'll keep you posted about how great it is, so it'll feel like you're actually playing it!" Tsuchimikado chimed in. Touma glared at him.

"For some reason, that doesn't help me feel any better, jerk." Touma replied, putting his hands into his pockets while Tsuchimikado snickered. "Why the Underground Mall though? Any of the above ground stores would have been closer."

"Ah! But thanks to a special promotion, the chain down here is releasing the game twelve hours early! Waiting until noon instead of midnight is much easier for us losers who wind-up in the remedial classes during winter break just because the game launches officially on a Monday!" Aogami replied. "…That reminds me; winter break is happening now… but I don't recall seeing you in for your lessons!"

"…Komoe-sensei made me a special offer…" Touma rubbed the back of his head. "She said that if I finished all the homework I missed during my absences, she's look the other way on my attendance…" Touma replied.

"…Oh, so you sweet-talked her, eh?" Tsuchimikado smirked again.

"I'm not proud of it…" Touma sighed. "Had to call in a bunch of favors to get it all done too… I'm fairly certain so many people helped me out, I'm probably in debt. Such misfortune…"

"Hey! You already have an army of women under your command! Leave Komoe-sensei alone you bastard!" Aogami shouted.

"Says the guy who stalks her every day after class! I remember you saying that you fail-out on purpose so you can get extra lessons from her too! You can't call yourself a loser if you're intentionally flunking out!" Touma shouted back.

"You take that back!" Aogami shouted back. The two looked ready to fight, but Tsuchimikado kept them separated.

"Guys, guys… calm yourself… there is something much more important to discuss…" Tsuchimikado stated. "Fukiyose is nowhere in sight… No one to stop us…"

"…We really haven't settled it yet, have we? Especially with Fukiyose stopping us at every turn…" Touma replied. All three of them cracked their knuckles as if they were getting ready to fight. An odd silence filled the area, only to be broken by the confident statement of Aogami Pierce.

"…Red bunny girls are still the best."

"You bastard! I explained it to you before; black is best! The black coloring makes her seem dangerous but still alluring enough to seek her out! The constant war between the allure of their curves and the aura of the darkness makes it perfect!" Touma shouted.

"But red is racy as hell! Sure you want her because of how sexy she is, but the red addition makes you believe that she knows what you want and hungers for it too! You can argue the dangerous side of things all you want, but if a girl wears a red bunny outfit for you, it guarantees a good time for you both!" Aogami barked back.

"Black!"

"Red!"

"Black!"

"Red!"

"I still prefer white loli bunny girls myself… Especially if she calls me onii-chan!" Tsuchimikado interrupted.

"You just say that because you want a loli!" Touma and Aogami shouted in unison.

"Honestly, I'm surprised we're still arguing this. Loli maids are clearly superior." Tsuchimikado added.

"THAT'S NOT AN OPTION HERE YOU BASTARD!" Touma and Aogami shouted louder.

"Hold on, hold on… I have an idea to satisfy everyone here…" Tsuchimikado said. The two members of the Delta Force glared at Tsuchimikado for a moment. "Ok. How about a red bunny girl…but over the bunny suit, she's wearing a black maid uniform?"

"…The leggings wouldn't feel off." Touma put his hand to his chin. "She loses the dangerous side because it's a maid uniform, but at the same time she gains a special kind of innocence because it IS a maid uniform."

"Super sweet on the outside, but hiding a dangerously sexy side underneath…" Aogami commented. "She should be busty, but the outfit should only show enough of her chest to just get the little bit of a hint of the bunny suit to make you think she's just wearing red underwear, letting you discover the surprise yourself..."

"What do you do about the ears though?" Touma asked.

"Maybe the maid's cap is magic, and when you remove it, her real ears come out!" Aogami suggested.

"…That may be crossing into a different genre territory, but in this case I really don't mind. I think it works." Touma nodded in agreement.

"Now if only I could get you to agree to let her be a loli- oww! Why Kami-yan, why!?" Tsuchimikado cried out in pain as Touma slugged him in the arm.

"Because you won't drop the loli thing! Are you trying to get arrested!? If I find you abusing little girls, I won't hesitate to call Anti-Skill on you!" Touma replied.

"…That's rude. Rude and hurtful." Tsuchimikado whined.

"The truth hurts you sis-con! Now wise-" Touma was cut off when he suddenly collided with another male close to his age. Touma took a few steps back quickly. "H-hey! Sorry about that! I wasn't-"

"…Holy hell, what do we have here!?" The thug replied. Touma failed to notice that the person in particular had two friends. He couldn't place it, but the trio seemed familiar somehow.

"Um… Have we met…?" Touma asked.

"You ask that after that red-eyed blond attacked us!?" The thug on the left replied.

"Red-eyed… blond…?" Touma asked in a confused tone.

"Yeah! Awhile back you kept running into us and bailing! The last time we met, that blond jackass attacked us!" The one on the right added.

"…Wait a second…"

"You must feel really special to have a guy like that around huh…? Able to open up portals and fire stuff out of them; he must be a really powerful teleporter… but I don't see him anywhere near you today…!" The middle thug grinned wide as Touma's eyes widened in realization.

"R-really!? What did he do!? Tell me, what did he do!? He didn't hurt you guys or anything, right!?" Touma shouted, recalling the trio in question as the thugs he would occasionally run into during the Holy Grail War that took place. To put a time-stamp on it, the Grail War ended about a week before the St. Germain incident.

"…N-no… we were fine… we ran and the guy backed off…" The middle thug replied in a confused tone.

"Oh… thank god… was worried for a second…" Touma rubbed the back of his head.

"But you're not going to be so lucky…!" The middle thug grabbed Touma by his shirt and lifted him up. "Payback is a bitch, you know…!? Allow us to teach you; we'll even do it for free…!"

"U-um… guys… a little help?" Touma called out.

"If Maika catches me coming back with a black-eye, she won't let me live it down." Tsuchimikado answered.

"I have to look my best for Komoe-sensei's lesson tomorrow, good luck Kami-yan!" Aogami waved.

"I've been abandoned already!?" Touma shouted.

"Tough luck kid!" The thug chambered his fist, but before he could attack, a bottle flew through the air and smashed into his face. Touma stumbled back and landed on his butt when a voice called out to him.

"Hey, you ok over there?" A thin teenager around his age was the one trying to get his attention. He wore a black cross-patterned cap and a cross-patterned shirt under a black sleeveless coat, black pants, and boots.

This teenager was Hattori Hanzou; he was the leader of the Skill-Out gang in Academy City. His reason for getting involved in this incident was simple.

He had seen Hamazura Shiage, his close friend, with Kamijou Touma on more than one occasion, enough to tell that the two were friends. While he couldn't tell how close the two were, he could see that Touma was someone Hamazura valued. His reason for getting involved isn't simply the concept of, "A friend of Hamazura's is a friend of mine," but rather, "I will play that supportive role of keeping Hamazura on the honest path he decided to walk," and if he had to keep a friend of Hamazura's out of trouble to help do that, he would jump at the chance.

"I'm fine… thanks." Touma replied as he pushed himself to his feet. He didn't even want to question where his savior got that bottle.

"Who the hell are you!? That hurt you bastard!" The thug climbed to his feet shouting all the while. "Are you trying to pick a fight or something?"

"I chucked glass at your head and you're asking that? Guess you're not as smart as you look, and you look really fucking stupid." Hanzou replied.

"H-hold on… w-we can make a clean escape now… no need to escalate the situation!" Touma nervously advised.

"You're going to pay for that…!" The right thug shouted.

"I won't be able to use anything special since I'm out in public… but I'm more than good enough to kick the crap out of a few losers here and there…" Hanzou replied.

"H-hold on! Didn't you hear me!? I said not to escalate the situaaaaatttiiioooonnnn!" Touma shouted as the thugs and Hanzou charged at each other. Touma tried to escape but one of the thugs charged at him while he was trying to reason with Hanzou, and was forced to defend himself. The fighting intensified as members of Skill-Out recognizing Hanzou fighting joined the fray, and more of the thug's friends came out of the woodwork. What was a simple scuff was quickly becoming a brawl.

It lasted a good ten minutes before Anti-Skill arrived. Both the thugs and Skill-Out quickly vanished and a few of the thugs ending up running straight into Anti-Skill. Hanzou vanished without a trace, but he could have sworn at some point he asked Touma to greet Hamazura for him before disappearing. Touma let out a sigh, relieved that the fight was over.

At least he was before he found himself in hand-cuffs.

"H-hey! Why me!? I didn't start anything! It was self-defense, they attacked me!" Touma replied.

"We have to work with what we got… and all we have is this…" An officer held out a tablet and played a video. It was surveillance and it showed him slugging Tsuchimikado's shoulder before cutting out to static. The officer fast-forwarded the footage until the static came back in, and it only showed the brawl that had developed, with him in the middle of it. "Something happened and the footage cut-off after that… we have to assume you're the one who started it."

"B-but I didn't! Guys, tell him!" Touma quickly looked around, but he quickly realized that Aogami and Tsuchimikado left him behind, and the only other person he could think of was Hanzou, and he was gone too.

Touma did the only thing he could do in his current situation.

"…Such misfortune…" He surrendered peacefully.

 **-Present Time-**

"…I'm going to pay Aogami and Tsuchimikado back for ditching me to go buy a dating sim RPG…" Touma cursed their names. He glanced at his left hand once more. "…That guy better be enjoying himself. I bet he has no idea how hard it is to wash my hands without touching this Command Seal with Imagine Breaker…"

Someone opened the door down the corridor where Touma's cell was located, and started walking down the hall. The footsteps didn't stop until they were in front of his cell, and he heard someone tap the bars lightly with a police baton.

It was the officer from before.

"I guess… it's time for questioning, huh?" Touma looked up at the Anti-Skill officer, who smiled warmly back at him.

"Won't need it; we got everything we wanted." The officer opened the door and stood aside. "You're free to go."

"B-but… why?" Touma asked, confused.

"You're lucky; someone recorded the entire thing on their phone. They just came in and turned in the video as evidence" The officer replied. "I think we got most of your side as we drove up here, so there shouldn't be any reason to hold you any longer. Take it easy and stay safe."

Touma was stunned. He quickly shot up and thanked the officer. He had to reclaim his personal belongings from someone else inside the precinct, but other than that he was completely off the hook. All things considered, he was actually excited. As he exited, the thought about what he was going to do with his new-found freedom, but his dreams of a peaceful night at home after such an ordeal were quickly shattered.

"Took you long enough; were the cells really that accommodating?' A female voice called out. The owner of the voice appeared to be a twelve-year-old girl with short blonde hair, blue eyes and a petite figure and was wearing a white frilled dress with black leggings. She called out to him from a bench just outside the Anti-Skill station, and next to her was a tall blond man who wore a clean black formal suit, and was sitting with one leg crossed over the other. Touma turned to the voice, and immediately his expression turned grim.

The girl was Leivinia Birdway, the leader of a magic cabal, the Dawn-Colored Sunlight, the largest magic cabal in the United Kingdom. The man next to her was Mark Space, the second in command of the very same cabal.

Without a doubt, Leivinia would only be here if she was seeking him out purposefully; the reason for the downturn of his mood was that very simple fact.

For any situation she was involved with would easily be riddled with at least three times as much misfortune as usual.

"What's with that look? Does seeing me displease you or something…?" Leivinia asked in what could only be described as a dangerous tone. The wrong response would lead to certain death.

"N-No! O-Of course not!" Touma quickly snapped out of his trance. "Y-you just surprised me is all! What are you doing here?"

"Enjoying the cold winter air, what do you think?" She replied in a sarcastic tone. "The least you could do is thank me; otherwise you'd be rotting away in here while the legal system kicks the shit out of you."

"Thank… you…?" Touma sounded confused, but it made sense after a moment. More than likely she had seen the scene and recorded it, probably to use as some form of blackmail later knowing her, but that plan must have changed when he was arrested. He wanted to question why she didn't get involved, but it was probably a good thing she didn't either way, so he decided not to bring it up. "Ah, so you're the one who saved me…!"

"Y-yes! Very much so! Bow before me as the creator of your freedom!" Leivinia stood up on the bench with one foot on the armrest, pointing at Touma.

"Ooohhh! Of course!" Touma replied, bowing. He decided to play along to avoid angering the cabal boss. "Thank you oh so very much, great Birdway-sama! I am unworthy of the mercy you have bestowed upon me this day!"

"You are quite welcome, haha!" Leivinia laughed in her position of supposed superiority, not even noticing that Touma was acting. Mark's eyebrow twitched; the act was more than obvious to him.

"This can't be good for her ego…" Mark sighed.

"Now… if I may ask a question milady… what are you still doing in Academy City?" Touma asked. "I figured that with your sister recovering in a stable condition, that you'd be off back to the UK?"

"…She couldn't leave her sister alone without dotting on her." Mark spoke. Leivinia's head snapped around and glared at him, but Mark simply looked the other way, pretending to not be involved. The young blond thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to play this off.

"…That's not entirely incorrect, I must admit." Leivinia turned back around and flipped some of her hair over her shoulder. "She is MY sister, after all. I promised that I would not leave her side until the doctors were absolutely certain she would make a full recovery. I was simply told as such today and figured I would leave a fitting goodbye present for her."

"Ah… so that's why you were in the Underground Mall. Makes sense." Touma nodded.

"Don't forget the important part, boss." Mark reminded.

"Oh… I suppose there is some violence happening back in the UK related to my late departure… but it is mostly my sister." Leivinia confirmed.

"Huh? What's going on? And why does that mean you had to stay behind?" Touma asked.

"How convenient it is that you asked that…!" Leivinia grinned as she spoke. An unsettling feeling washed over Touma as she spoke those words. He knew what was coming next and there was only one way to stop it.

Do everything within his power to completely distract her from the subject.

"H-hey! T-that night when we were dealing with your sister's situation, I-I was trying to get a hotpot together! I kind-of still want to do one, w-would you want to join me!?" Touma asked. Leivinia paused for a moment, with a surprised look, and then flushed red.

"A-a h-hotpot?" She asked, to which Touma nodded. After a moment she regained her composure, but the blush on her face persisted through her haughty antics. "R-remember! I do not like anything spicy… but knowing you you'll probably forget that… I suppose there is no choice but to join you in shopping for ingredients!" She hastily agreed to the proposition without a care in the world.

"Boss," Mark poked Leivinia's cheek, and started speaking in English to hide what he was saying from Touma. "I don't like the route you're picking to deal with the situation at hand back home, but if you really are going to choose him, at least stick to the script; don't go off into another world just because you want to spend time with your, "big brother," understand?" Leivinia's blushed faded as she spoke

"…Oh, right… lost it a bit there… HEY!" Leivinia suddenly turned and stomped on Mark's foot, causing him to howl in pain. Touma had no idea what Mark said, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for him, but felt like punching him for ruining his plan at the same time. He cursed himself for not being able to understand English. Leivinia coughed a bit before she resumed speaking.

"Sorry about that, important thing he needed to remind me of is all." Leivinia returned to speaking Japanese.

"…I see…" Touma sighed.

"It's been awhile since we've really worked together, hasn't it? I don't really count you helping me with my sister though… but I heard you've been having fun recently with a sudden appearance of more magic gods… and with that other boy, World Rejecter, wasn't it? I've also heard through the grape-vine that you had a lot of fun ending a Grail War awhile back… How would you like to help me end another one?"

"H-how'd you hear about that…?" Touma asked nervously.

"I have a lot of people in a lot of places; don't underestimate me!" Leivinia proclaimed. "So what do you say… hmm?"

"I can't really… its winter break… and-" He stopped when he could practically feel the glare focused on him; it felt like it was roasting him alive despite the below freezing temperatures.

"I know; that means it'd be perfect for you… right…?" Leivinia asked in a dark tone as she hopped off the bench and approached him. Touma gulped, but decided to press forward.

"Look… I understand that you're asking for help, I really do. But with everything going on recently, I need some time to myself… it's been non-stop since the Gremlin incident, and I'm getting worn down… if much more happens I'll break, and if that happens, I can't help anyone…" Touma said.

Leivinia's stance didn't seem to change. Faced with the challenge ahead, Touma continued.

"…And besides, you're Leivinia Birdway! The one in charge of the largest magic cabal in the UK! While I'm just a typical high school boy! Sure, I have Imagine Breaker, but that can't do much against a Servant! You'd more than likely have to be the one to save me; I'd be a burden to you, and I wouldn't be able to stand that!"

Leivinia's gaze softened a little.

"While you're one of the best magicians I know, if you came at me seriously, I wouldn't be able to stand a chance! If you can take me out so easily, then what would I be able to do to enemies that challenge you? And even then, you're really powerful! I bet not even a Servant would be able to stand up against you for long!"

"…So you really don't want to go then…?" Leivinia asked.

"I'm sorry… I honestly think I would just be a burden to you… there is only so much this unlucky Kamijou-san can do…" Touma sighed. "If you want, I was serious about that hotpot idea; it's probably not as good as what you were hoping for, but it's the least I can do to thank you."

"…Thank me?" The young blonde was taken aback at the sudden grace given to her.

"Yeah; for having confidence in me." Touma replied. "It must be hard to come asking for help, especially with the problems you deal with, so I am more than honored that you came to me first… So thanks for believing in me. Not just for now, but back then too." Leivinia knew what he was referring to.

The day that Othinus destroyed the world.

"…I see." Leivinia replied. She turned around and took a few steps ahead of her. "…Mark."

"Yes, boss?" the well-dressed subordinate responded.

"Grab his arms." She simply stated.

"…Eh?" Touma took a few steps back as Mark approached him. "H-hold on a second-" He was cut off as Leivinia suddenly broke into a full speed run, and then shifted into a two-leg jump-kick into his chest. The momentum, even from a small girl, was enough to stagger Touma and knock him over. As Touma coughed while he dealt with the air being knocked out of him, Mark lifted him up by his arms and held him at bay while Leivinia grabbed and held him up by his legs. "H-hey! We can talk about this!"

"What's there to talk about? You really think that I could let you get away after a speech like that!?" Leivinia smiled at him despite the fact she was in the process of kidnapping him.

"D-did I take it too far!?" Touma lamented as he struggled.

"Now I'm MORE than certain that you're perfect for this! You understand your place perfectly!" Leivinia's smile turned into a grin. "But do you really think you're useless here? I disagree; you forget that I am the leader of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight! I am a strategist without compare!" Leivinia leaned in a bit, making sure that Touma's eyes met hers. "If you really think you're useless to me, then I'll just have to shatter that illusion of yours!"

"D-did I do something wrong!? Is this karma, irony, or some kind of hostile amalgamation!? What did I do; please tell me!" Touma cried out.

"Boss; we should get going before he alerts the authorities to our current activities." Mark commented.

"Right; don't worry. We won't get caught. Let's take him back to his place so everything feels right in place." Leivinia said as the two magicians began to move their constantly fidgeting and shouting cargo.

And with that, Kamijou Touma was dragged kicking and screaming into another incident in the world of magic.

* * *

 **And here is where our next adventure begins my friends! I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Keep in mind that the upload schedule with this one will be a little infrequent than previous, but I will be seeing this through to it's completion, barring some kind of horrible accident.**

 **For now this is where we part ways. Take it easy my friends!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	2. Similar Isn't The Same

**And here we go, the Second one. Not much to say this time though, fairly straightforward.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"He's late…" Index muttered to herself as she sat on Touma's bed. She had her cat Sphynx, in her lap and was petting him as she looked up at the clock.

"Message boards are saying something happened at the Underground Mall… maybe he's involved." Othinus replied. She was sitting right across from a laptop and was using both of her tiny arms to move the mouse so she could navigate. Boredom had gotten to her so she had Index open up Touma's laptop so she could mess around online. She counted her blessings that Sphynx was currently pacified, as the cat liked to assault her when she least expected it.

"He better not…" Index grumbled, and then sighed. "But he probably is… it better not be magic related…"

"Unlikely; it looks like some local thugs got into a brawl in front of one of the stores and a bunch of people joined in. Anti-Skill showed up and made some arrests." Othinus stood up and stepped onto the laptop and started pressing down keys with her foot, trying to search for something.

"I have a question. Awhile back… you were flying all around… now you're not… why?" Index cocked her head to the side.

"Got my hands on a small magic item that let me do it; I had to make it all the way to Japan somehow, you know?" Othinus answered. "Then that beast of yours attacked me over and over, and the time that it shattered my magic item, I decided I had enough of it!" Sphynx let out a yawn, as if he was responding to being addressed. The calico cat quickly put his head back down lazily as he enjoyed the attention Index was giving him.

"…Ah, that's when you wanted the doll house." Index nodded in understanding. The door to the apartment suddenly swung open and something was thrown inside.

It was Touma, the owner of the residence. However; he was currently bound by rope. He let out a cry of pain as he landed.

"Come on… if you're going to kidnap me, at least don't treat me like luggage!" Touma shouted as he struggled against his binds.

"K-kidnap!? Touma, what is going on!?" Index shot up almost instantly and Sphynx jumped down to the floor.

"Pipe down… we're in your apartment anyway, so quit complaining." Leivinia replied as she walked inside, followed closely by Mark.

"…Oh, it's you. Makes sense." Index's tone quickly changed from worry to disappointment.

"What kind of reaction is that!?" The small blonde demanded.

"Kidnapping just seems something low enough that you'd stoop to in order to get what you want, that's all." Othinus added.

"What the hell is that kind of expectation!? Stop pinning weird things on me and claiming that it's normal!" Leivinia shouted. Mark cleared his throat and pointed down at the still bound Touma, as it was quite damning evidence that the girls were more than a little correct. Leivinia gritted her teeth and kicked Mark in the shin; she didn't know why but he was being extra uppity today.

"Trouble in paradise?" Othinus mocked with a sneer.

"Shut it you mega-midget! I'm busy!" Leivinia managed to drag Touma over to his table. "Couldn't you help out a little bit more…!?"

"Sorry; I forgot how my legs worked when you decided to tie me up." Touma replied in a sarcastic tone. "Why are you so focused on me, anyway?"

"If you must know, it's because I have no experience with a Holy Grail War or anything. I've never been in one, and no-one in the Dawn-Colored Sunlight has either, so at the moment, you're the only one I can get information from…" Leivinia replied.

"That can't be all; you and I both know that." Touma replied.

"And if you needed information, you could have just come to me… instead of having to kidnap Touma." Index commented.

"…I get thrown in jail, and then get kidnapped and finally thrown into my own home. What a day…" Touma sighed.

"…You were arrested?" Index questioned.

"Told you he was involved with the shenanigans in the Underground Mall." Othinus huffed.

"…Fine, it's just a delicate situation is all." Leivinia finally replied. "I can't say much more to be honest… if you truly wish not to be involved anyway."

"…You said a Holy Grail War. What's the problem? From my understanding those don't just happen out of the blue…" Touma commented.

"Not unless you found some kind of spell to force one… and are abusing the same spell to rig the system in your favor." Leivinia replied.

"…How so? You didn't get picked as a master, did you?" Touma asked.

"Nope; and that's the problem. A particular faction set it up so that all their members are the ones affected, so no matter who wins, the organization gets a free wish to change the world however they want… good or bad." The blonde replied.

"…Touma, I think we need to hear her out." Index chimed in. "A Holy Grail War is no small matter… if what she's saying is true…"

"…Chaos, mass hysteria… the usual." Touma sighed. "Alright; you've twisted my arm. Cut me loose and I'll hear you out, alright?" Leivinia smirked and snapped her fingers. A single card fell from Mark's sleeve into two of his fingers and with one single motion, slashed at the rope around Touma's body, slicing right through it like paper. Touma rubbed his hands and checked himself out carefully. "No nicks or scratches… you're good." Mark let out a smirk of his own and bowed as if he had given a stage performance.

"Alright, on to business then…" Leivinia sat down properly at the table across from Touma, sticking her feet underneath. "You're probably not really familiar with all of the magic cabals in the United Kingdom, are you?"

"Not really… all I know is what I heard from you." Touma adjusted himself so he sat properly as well, with Index standing behind him. Othinus made her way over to Touma's side of the table as Mark moved to stand behind Leivinia.

"Well, there is one particular cabal that has been making sudden waves; random attacks, bombings, even focused assaults. One group of my own subordinates was attacked recently; Mark came here to give me the report." Leivinia explained.

"What are they after? That's a lot of effort being put towards something…" Touma commented.

"That's the problem… these attacks have actually been more along the lines of burglaries; they've been stealing artifacts of all kinds; they even hit a traveling Egyptian exhibit at a museum… and it sounds like they're gathering summoning catalysts."

"How do you have that information?" Index asked.

"I planted a few spies into some of the more peculiar cabals that spring up here and there, just to keep a nice web of information just in case any of them do anything stupid." Leivinia replied. "Unfortunately, while the cabal in question here was acting, I was trying to figure something out to help my sister… otherwise I would have already squashed this little plan of theirs…"

"Bad timing… I see…" Touma crossed his arms and leaned forward. "What's the cabal's name?"

"The Solution to Nothingness." Mark spoke up. "They follow the ideal of, "By any means necessary, erase the void within the hearts of man, but embrace the void in which all life exists within." Two months ago, a new leader was appointed after their previous master passed away, and from that point on they have gone under radical changes in tactics. Three weeks ago, a magician who managed to get their hands on the spell that forced the Grail War here in Academy City joined up, and since then, they have been sending out forces to collect artifacts to summon Servants."

"But the spell that was used forced Servants upon people selected as Masters…" Index spoke.

"Yeah; that's why this entire situation reeks. Whoever this guy is, he must be a real piece of work to customize the spell this much. Word is that the Mage's Association was planning on dismantling the Grail over the whole incident in Academy City, but all of this went down before any of that could even start. There was a lot of pressure from the Royal Family considering who was involved in the Illegal Grail War."

"With Thor and Fiamma there… I understand completely…" Touma nodded. "So this cabal is setting up their own Holy Grail War. Aside from their random attacks, what's the problem?"

"The problem is that everyone selected as a Master belongs to the cabal. In other words, they intend to rig the system by having the Masters use their Command Seals to force their Servants to commit suicide to power the Grail all at once, then abuse the fully energized Grail's power." Leivinia explained.

"But then why even go after catalysts? They help, but they aren't necessary to summon a Servant, they only guide the summoning ritual to summon a specific Heroic Spirit." Index asked.

"The theory is that they are ensuring that they collect Servants with enough energy to properly power the Grail; different Servants give different levels of mana to the Grail when they are killed." Mark stated.

"So they're going around attacking innocent people… and they are just going to trick the dead into being fancy power sources so they can just manipulate the world…?" Touma sighed after reasoning everything out. "…As much as I wanted to enjoy the winter break I hastily tried to earn, I can't overlook something like this. I have a Heroic Spirit myself, and a good friend happens to be one too; I'm not going to let them abuse the people resting in peace like this."

"…Well said." Leivinia smirked confidently. "Mark; I need a Shirley Temple! Let's celebrate this partnership properly!"

"...Still into those odd drink mixes, eh?" Touma seemed to smile, but something caught his attention. His pocket was buzzing; someone was calling him. "Hold on, I'll be right back." Touma stood up and took out his phone, walking into the short hallway that lead outside for a small bit of privacy before answering. "Hello? Kamijou Touma speaking."

"Hey, boss!" The voice on the other line was no-one other than a certain dirty blond level 0, simply known as Hamazura Shiage. "Sorry for the call out of the blue, but are you busy right now?"

"I was, but I think everything was just wrapped up. What's up?" Touma asked.

"Eh… it's kind of short notice… but I'm at a diner a few blocks away from your place… could you drop by?" Hamazura asked.

"I don't mind… what's going on?"

"Well… you remember that whole shindig at the Dianoid awhile back? At that big confrontation, my friends were there, if you can remember." Hamazura stated.

"I remember… wasn't one of them your girlfriend?"

"Yeah! You're thinking of Takitsubo! Though… I don't think you'd know her just by looking since you two never actually met properly… Anyway! That's not the point!" Hamazura paused for a moment before continuing; the sounds on the other line gave the impression that he was looking around. "For some reason, our conversation turned towards that incident, and they started talking about the fight… and you kind of came up, and I accidentally let it slip that I knew you, so…"

"Ah… well I don't mind I guess. You ok? You sound like something's wrong."

"Sorry boss… it's just that… well… Takitsubo and Kinuhata should be fine… the problem is Mugino…" Hamazura began. "She's a level 5 with a short fuse. And I know you'd never do anything on purpose… but…"

"Right; bad luck. Something's bound to happen…" Touma moved the phone to his other ear. "Man, at this rate I'm really going to be involved with all seven of the level 5's…"

"…I remember that you know the number one and the number three… but how many of them exactly do you know now?" Hamazura asked.

"Well… I met the number two when Fremea was in trouble… The number seven I met just before fall… I think I know the number five, but I can't help but feel like I'm forgetting something important about her…"

"You weren't kidding… but that last statement sounds vague as hell. Do you even know if the number 5 is a girl?"

"…I don't know; it's just a feeling I got." Touma poked his head with his finger, as if he was trying to focus. "I can't help but feel like I know her… but all I'm coming up with is a blank… Gah, this is going to drive me crazy…."

"I can look into it for you. Consider it as an apology for blabbing about you."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. If they're friends of yours, I'm sure they're good people."

"…I would reserve that judgement until you meet them. Takitsubo I completely agree with you, but the other two… you'll see." Hamazura sighed.

"Alright… well, hang out for a bit and I'll make my way over. I'll see you in a bit." Touma hung up after a moment and made his way back into the living room, and went looking for his coat.

"Going somewhere?" Leivinia asked as she took a drink.

"Yeah; Hamazura-san called me up and says he wanted to meet me at a diner. Shouldn't be gone long… we can work out travel when I get back."

"…Hamazura… the dirty blond, right?" Leivinia asked, receiving a nod in response. "I see… I haven't seen him in a while… maybe I'll join you…"

"Eh? You never really seemed to care about him that much before… why do you suddenly- … no. I know where this is going, and the answer is no." Touma was quick to figure out that it was another ploy to recruit outside assistance, much like she did to him.

"You say that like you actually have a plan to stop me from coming along…" Leivinia replied in a dangerous tone.

"If I may interject," Mark spoke up. "The Boss' main goal here was to acquire you for this operation, anything else would be considered extra. I think we can reach an agreement that she can ask Hamazura to join, but to simply accept his answer, right?"

"…Mark, you're revealing details about our plan before we have all of our pieces in place...!" Leivinia warned.

"I am aware… but I think we're at that point where Kamijou won't let us do as we please without some kind of compromise…" Mark answered quickly.

"Grrr… fine!" Leivinia let out an annoyed grumble. "I'll only tell him what's happening and ask him, but if he says no I'll drop it, is that fine!?" Leivinia shouted, obviously not comfortable with not having things her way.

"…If it's completely of his own free will, I guess its fine…" Touma seemed nervous about it, but decided to accept the offer. "Index, hold down the fort ok? We'll sort everything out when we get back."

"Alright, be careful Touma!" Index called out. Touma decided to head to the bathroom before he left. Leivinia turned to Mark and spoke quiet enough that only he could hear.

"Mark; you better hope he joins… or else I'll administer your punishment personally…"

Mark gulped only once, regretting his decision to intervene.

 **-12 minutes later-**

"This seems like the place… kind of wondering what they were doing all the way in District seven though…" Touma spoke absentmindedly. "Alright, wait out here for a bit, when whatever they wanted me for is taken care of, I'll bring Hamazura-san out with me."

"You have fifteen minutes. Get what you need done or else I'll drag you both out myself." Leivinia answered. She clearly didn't like having to compromise, and was trying to exert as much control as she could over the situation to compensate. Touma sighed and just nodded, not wanting to start an argument. He pulled the door open and walked inside. A bell went off to tell the employees they had a new customer, but the unlucky Kamijou paid little attention to it as he looked around.

He eventually saw someone waving from one of the booths. It belonged to a certain dirty blond.

Hamazura Shiage.

"Hey boss! Over here!" He shouted, getting his attention.

"Boss? Hamazura acknowledging authority? That's super new." One girl with short brown hair in a bob-cut stated. She had brown eyes, and she was wearing a knit sweater dress that went part-way down her thighs, and appeared to be a twelve year old.

"…That is really rare. It's very not-Hamazura-y." Another girl who was sitting next to Hamazura himself spoke. She had her head down like she was taking a nap, but lifted it up when she began to speak. Her black hair was cut evenly at shoulder length, and was wearing fairly average pink track-suit, and appeared to be very tired. She seemed a lot closer to Touma's age-group, but her tired expression made it difficult to tell.

"…What's with that kind of expectation?" Hamazura deadpanned as he turned his attention to the bob-cut girl.

"It's definitely not Hamazura-y. And moreover, the only person who you should be calling that is right here, you dumbass." A third girl spoke. She had long, soft tea-colored hair, and was dressed in a style that could only be described as stylish. She had the aura of a proper lady, but her tone and language suggested otherwise. She was definitely in Touma's own age-group.

"Hey… my reasons are personal…" Hamazura replied with a sigh.

"I'm guessing these are your friends… right?" Touma asked.

"Yeah, this is them!" Hamazura replied. "Like I told you guys, this is him. You can kind of recognize him, right?"

"Kind-of…" The tired girl put her head back down shortly after speaking, but turned her head so she was facing Touma. "My name is Takitsubo Rikou; it's nice to meet you." Hamazura began to rub the girl's back a bit, with her letting out a pleasant sound to signify that she enjoyed the attention.

"Ah… so she's your girlfriend, eh? The one you're always talking about?" Touma asked.

"He talks about me…?" Takitsubo asked; a slight uptick in her tone gave the impression that she was surprised.

"Yeah; he brags about you a lot. It seems like no matter what he's doing, he would much rather be right next to you." Touma replied. Takitsubo's eyes widened slightly, before she let out a small smile. Hamazura was concerned with how Takitsubo would react to Touma's words, but that fear was wiped away rather quickly; it appeared that she liked knowing that Hamazura liked her enough to boast about her to other people.

"Well, she is a catch. Decent height, cute face, loving disposition, huge tits; I'd be more surprised if Hamazura didn't super brag about her." The bob-cut girl said.

"It'd be really awkward otherwise, don't you think?" The long-haired girl spoke.

"Yeah, but I really wouldn't care if he super bragged about me though; these legs of mine deserve some more recognition…" The bob-cut girl replied. "Oh, by the way new-guy; I'm Kinuhata Saiai. Yes, I'm single but no, I'm not interested in you."

"Why did your mind immediately jump to that!? You look like you're four years younger than me!" Touma shouted in self-defense.

"I have to be careful… thighs like these tend to super attract a bunch of perverts." Kinuhata replied.

"Then wear pants!" Touma shot back.

"Nah; then I wouldn't be able to super show them off. It's a necessary evil kind-of thing." Kinuhata explained. "Hey, I know I'm not interested, but you can feel them if you need better understanding. One touch and you'll be super grateful I decided to display them to the world."

"N-no thanks. Knowing my luck, the moment I do something catastrophic will happen and I'll be spending the next four months in the hospital." Touma replied. Kinuhata giggled; Touma couldn't tell if she was being serious or just teasing him.

What he noticed however was that the last girl was eyeing him. Touma could tell; she was scanning him from top to bottom, and it was making him uncomfortable.

"Still though; I remember you being super taller. Going around punching things into oblivion, that was kinda cool though!" Kinuhata spoke up again.

"You're making it sound like I'm some kind of walking bomb…" Touma stated. "And I'm the same height! I haven't shrunk one bit!"

"Eh… I'd check yourself out next time you can measure yourself… oh!" Kinuhata seemed to eye the Command Seal on his left hand. "Sweet tattoo, but part of its super faded."

"Y-yeah, it's just being done in stages; I'll be getting the last part finished up soon." Touma lied; he couldn't let it slip about magic to these girls.

"Oh, I see I see! Making sure it's done super perfectly, I gotcha." Kinuhata smiled.

"…Well? Are you going to introduce yourself to us, or not?" The long-haired girl asked in an impatient tone.

"R-right, sorry." Touma rubbed the back of his head. "I'm Kamijou Touma; it's great to meet you all." He continued to rub his head as the long-haired girl continued to eye him. She remembered a few things from the incident before; there was something she recalled rather clearly.

Touma defeated everything that was thrown at him with just his right hand. She narrowed her eyes.

"Kamijou-san, raise your right hand and stand still." The girl ordered.

"U-um… like this?" Touma complied, trying to make a good first impression. The girl held out her hand and a green-orb formed, and then fired off a kind of laser. Touma barely had time to react, but quickly noticed that the beam of green light was specifically aimed for his right hand. The beam collided with its target, and promptly vanished without a trace after a loud glass-shattering sound.

"H-hey! What the hell was that for!? That could have killed me!" Touma demanded an answer to why he was suddenly was attacked.

"Woah… not bad, new guy." Kinuhata said in awe.

"How did you do that?" Takitsubo asked.

"I-it's a tad difficult to explain…" Touma replied.

"…Not bad." The long-haired girl spoke. "My name is Mugino Shizuri. As you have probably heard, I am the fourth ranked level 5, the Meltdowner… it's a pleasure." Mugino didn't need to know what Touma's power was or how it worked.

The display of his right hand's ability was all she really needed to know; everything else was just fluff. Honestly, Mugino's acceptance of what happened caught Touma off guard. At least it became clear why she attacked him.

"L-likewise…" Touma replied nervously. Kinuhata grabbed ahold of Touma's right hand started to examine it.

"I don't know what ability it is or what level you are, but that was really super cool!" Kinuhata shouted.

"H-hey, I'm just a level 0…" Touma stated.

"Ah I see… no control. I heard of espers being labeled as level 0 just because they had no super control over their ability… guess you got lucky and yours is just always super passive." Kinuhata commented. Touma wanted to correct her about Imagine Breaker's true nature, but he felt it was easier to just let her think of it as an esper ability; less work for him to do in the long run. "But still… to be powerful enough to block a level 5's esper ability… I might have to reconsider what I said about not being interested in you."

"W-what kind of response is that!?" Touma shouted.

"Don't worry, I'm just joking."

"A-and now you're giving false hope of raising a flag just to take it back! What kind of monster are you!?" Touma shouted again.

"Eh? I thought you weren't interested because I'm super four years younger than you?"

"B-but that's… gah! Stop playing with my emotions!" Touma lamented. Kinuhata went from giggling to full-blown laughter.

"Oh my god, this is too good! He's way funnier to mess with than Hamazura!" Kinuhata managed to say in-between her fits of laughter.

"It's because you can't flirt with Hamazura without making Takitsubo mad." Mugino added. Takitsubo moved her arm to wrap it around Hamazura's as she pulled him a little bit closer. It was as if she was saying, "mine."

"No lie… hey! Kamijou-san! How would you like an accidental skirt-flip!?" Kinuhata seemed way too excited.

"N-No way! What the hell is this situation!? Did I just step into some kind of alternate world or something!? Stop tormenting me like this!" Touma covered his eyes as Kinuhata faked lifting up her dress, causing her to start laughing again. Hamazura let out a relived sigh as Takitsubo looked at him curiously.

"Don't worry; I'm fine." Hamazura reassured his girlfriend. "I was just worried that everyone wouldn't get along with him, I'm just glad to see that everything's working out so far." Takitsubo finally lifted herself up to sit properly as she smiled at Hamazura.

"That's all I wanted you here for, Kamijou-san." Mugino stated. "Unless you actually enjoy having Kinuhata perving on you, you can leave."

"Pfft, he super enjoys it. Every guy likes a tease." Kinuhata stated.

"Why do I feel like you're making it your personal goal to torment me!?" Touma shouted as Kinuhata giggled again. Touma sighed and began to speak once more. "Actually, if you guys don't mind, I actually need Hamazura for a bit."

"And why's that?" Mugino asked.

"Guy talk; personal stuff." Touma said.

"Hey, it's more polite to ask for my number directly, and three times more enjoyable to see your face when I super reject you." Kinuhata chimed in.

"It's not about that! And that's not what I need him for!" Touma shouted. Kinuhata was starting to force Touma to strain his vocal cords, and all she got out of it was more laughter.

"If you need me for something boss, I got a sec." Hamazura pushed himself to his feet. Takitsubo's grip on Hamazura's arm tightened a little as he moved to stand up. "Don't worry; I'll be back in a bit." The dirty blond managed to get free, and the two boys exited the diner, leaving the girls alone.

"Oh man… wow. I haven't had that much fun messing with someone in a long time…" Kinuhata wiped away some tears forming on her face from her laughter. "It's like with Frenda, but better because I can go all out."

"…I can see the similarities, I guess." Mugino added. Takitsubo seemed to be focusing her gaze at the door the two boys used to leave.

"…I cannot sense Kamijou-san's AIM field. Unusual." Takitsubo commented. "It's almost as if he wasn't an esper at all…"

"Really? That's super crazy… maybe his own ability is just stopping your AIM Stalker from working on him?" Kinuhata theorized. Takitsubo put a finger to her chin and looked up, thinking the idea over.

"…Does anyone here remember the Hawaii incident a month or two ago?" Mugino asked.

"I do… Hamazura was in Hawaii at the time… he said it was for business." Takitsubo frowned; she was more than a little bit worried for Hamazura's life during that crisis and remembering that wasn't sitting well with her.

"Yeah, it was right after he super chased us off from that random apartment." Kinuhata added as she leaned back a bit.

"I know… so does anyone get the feeling that something similar is going on…?" Mugino asked.

"…Now that you mention it…" Takitsubo trailed off as she thought.

"Maybe that random apartment was Kamijou-san's? They could be super connected." The bob-cut girl added. Mugino took a drink of the beverage in front of her before speaking again.

"...What do you say we look into this ourselves?"

 **-Same Time, Outside the Diner-**

"About damn time." Leivinia spat. The group relocated into an alleyway to prevent people walking by from listening in.

"Quit complaining; he's out here so do what you need to do." Touma fired back.

"Ah shit, it's you again…" Hamazura spat with a deadpan face. Leivinia's reaction was to kick him in the shin. "Ow! Fucking hell!"

"What the hell is it with everyone and having a negative impression of me!?" Leivinia shouted.

"You do have a tendency to either get people involved with danger or just bring it with you… you're like a walking-talking bad luck charm." Touma commented. Leivinia kicked his shin next. "Gah! Come on, I was joking!"

"Well I didn't like it, now shut up, will you!?" Leivinia sighed and took a moment to compose herself. "Ok… ok; I lost control for a bit… I think I'm good now." She took a deep breath.

"…Must be really important. What's up?" Hamazura asked as he stood up after the sudden attack. It didn't take long to go over major issues going on, but explaining what a Holy Grail War was took a little bit more time. "Ok… so people fight each other with spirits of the dead… and the winner gets to make a wish… but a bunch of guys are rigging the system so there's no real contest… which could lead to abuse? And you want to stop that?"

"Indeed, that's the easy version." Leivinia nodded quickly.

"Alright… where do I fit in all of this?" The dirty blond asked as he crossed his arms.

"I'm seeking out any capable people I can get my hands on for direct confrontation… I'm setting up a little trap for them, but there's not much time before the cabal makes their move, so I don't have time to mobilize all of my operatives across the world; only reason I'm looking into things here is because I happen to be in the area. I just happened to be lucky to find some capable people, including our dear Kamijou here who actually has experience as a Master."

"…Right; from that incident before the mall issue…" Hamazura thought out loud. "And you're involved with this too, right boss?"

"Kind of… I don't like what they're doing, so I decided to lend a hand. That's the short version of it." Touma replied.

"So… what do you say?" Leivinia asked with her tiny hands on her hips. Hamazura closed his eyes and stroked his chin lightly, thinking. Touma gave him a worried expression, but Hamazura's answer surprised the two.

"…Alright, if he's in, I'll join up. If it's a bad enough problem that boss decided to get involved, I don't see why I shouldn't give a hand." Hamazura stated. Leivinia grinned wide while Touma looked at him with shock.

"Hey… are you sure about this man?" The spiky haired boy asked.

"It's no problem… even if Hawaii ended up as a cluster-fuck because of all the political stuff, the situation as a whole worked out in the end… and besides," Hamazura turned to face Touma. "Us shitty level 0's got to stick together, right? You're always shouldering a lot of crap; let me help out a bit with the heavy lifting."

"…Thanks man." Touma smiled back at the dirty blond.

"Since you two brought up Hawaii… I wonder if the number one or three would be willing to help…" Leivinia thought out loud.

"…Misaka is a an unlikely possibility, and I'm fairly certain Accelerator would say no due to the fallout that happened… if you asked him I'm sure all you'd get would be a door to the face… though whether he'd just slam it or throw it at you is kind of up in the air…" Touma answered.

"If the first and third are out… why not try asking the fourth?" A new voice called out. Leivinia and Touma looked in surprise but Hamazura turned in fear.

"M-Mugino!? H-how much of that did you hear!?" He shouted.

"Since you super got kicked in the shin… I don't know this chick but I like her style." Kinuhata's head poked from one side of the alleyway.

"Hamazura… you're not cheating on me with younger women, are you?" Takitsubo poked her head out from the other side. "I told you before; you're not allowed to NTR me."

"N-not a chance! As if I could be into something like that!" Hamazura defended himself before shaking his head rapidly. "T-that's not the point! What are you three doing here!?"

"Sorry, little girl. I don't know too much about this magic stuff, but if you want Hamazura, you're taking us with you, understand?" Mugino ignored Hamazura as she made her demands known.

"You say that like I'd say no to more help." Leivinia answered.

"H-hey! What kind of blind acceptance of terms is that?" Touma asked with a pained expression.

"A level 5 is a level 5; if she's pledging to join up with him, I'm not going to say no." Leivinia shrugged. "Besides; she heard the whole thing; if she's making a conscious action to get involved it's her decision, right?"

"H-hold on, I'm still lost here… why are you all butting in again…?" Hamazura sighed. His response came from his girlfriend who hugged his left arm into her chest.

"Cause you're going. We haven't forgotten Hawaii you know…" Takitsubo pulled him in close affectionately, trying to convince him.

"Yeah; we were super worried that your butt was going to get toasted. Plus since it's you, I don't think a Hamazura-y guy like you would appease the volcano gods and we might end up smited by association." Kinuhata added.

"…Thanks. Good to know that saving me saves you from divine punishment." Hamazura deadpanned.

"You walking off to die is forbidden, you dumbass." Mugino chimed in. "I don't think you fully understand what it would mean for us if you expired… so we're going. Understand?"

"…Gah! It's hard enough to say no to Takitsubo, but against all three of you I don't stand a chance!" Hamazura scratched his head with his free hand. "Fine. If I'm going they're coming too. Is that alright with you Birdway?"

"Sure; I have no complaints. More hands means more work can be done." Leivinia grinned.

"Don't worry Hamazura. We'll keep you safe, just leave it to us, ok?" Takitsubo smiled warmly at her boyfriend, and only then did Hamazura notice a certain feeling of softness that was encompassing his left arm.

"Hehe… hahahaha! Don't worry about a thing! This level 0 isn't so weak that he'd just go off and die when he has people to come back for!" Hamazura stated to look tough, a little trickle of blood coming from his nose. Mugino let out an annoyed sigh while Kinuhata laughed at him, but Takitsubo just simply ignored whatever perverted thoughts were popping up in Hamazura's head.

"…It seems like Hamazura has a nice girlfriend." Touma commented.

"I guess…?" Leivinia joined in with a deadpan expression.

"…I wish I could meet a nice girl like that. Hamazura is really lucky." Touma sighed.

"…Ahem…" Leivinia turned just a little bit red as she cleared her throat, purposefully calling attention to herself.

"Eh…? Do you know one or something…?" Touma asked. Leivinia immediately kicked him in the shin as she turned angry. "Ow! What did I do!?"

"Learn to read the mood, you goddamn idiot!" Leivinia lost her cool as her little advance on Touma was completely brushed aside. "Let's go; we have to organize some things; we're leaving today." Leivinia walked off as Touma rubbed his shin. Hamazura helped him to his feet as the group followed behind the short blonde cabal boss.

And shortly after meeting up at Touma's apartment to collect their remaining associates, they made their way to the airport. In only two hours, thanks to Academy City's Supersonic Passenger Planes, they arrived at the next staging area for their operation.

London.

* * *

 **Welcome to the bottom my friends.**

 **Once again, not a whole lot to say. To those who want to review, feel free to do so.**

 **Have a good one everyone!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	3. Reunion

**And now we'll see some familiar faces again!**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Honestly, I don't super get this magic stuff… but if it works how you say it does, I'll buy it." Kinuhata said as she stood up and stretched for a bit.

"There are two things I don't understand… the first is how it seems that everyone but me and Index are perfectly fine with these supersonic jets… and how you just accepted the existence of magic so easily." Touma moaned as he got up. The group had just landed after a two hour flight riding on one of Academy City's famous supersonic passenger jets.

For a head-count, the group consisted of Kamijou Touma, Index, Othinus, Leivinia Birdway, Mark Space, Hamazura Shiage, Takitsubo Rikou, Kinuhata Saiai, and finally, Mugino Shizuri, Academy City's fourth ranked level 5 esper.

"I've seen a lot of C and B movies; a lot of them involve vampires using magic to curse the planet, zombies being resurrected from the dead, and scantily-clad witches using spells in super sexy poses that it makes you wonder if the director chose it or if she wanted to super do it herself; it's fairly easy to understand something if you heard it before." Kinuhata shrugged her shoulders.

"…Ok, why so much detail about the witches!?" Touma shouted.

"I thought it would be important." Kinuhata shrugged again. Touma groaned; dealing with this girl was going to be a challenge; he would have to endure for the remainder of this trip after all.

"Personally, I don't buy it." Mugino spoke up as a voice of reason. "How about we see a little display of your so called, "magic." You can do that, right?"

"Could have done it on the flight, but I would of tanked the whole jet… and I feel certain people would take offence to that." Leivinia replied.

"If you do intend to show them magic, let us please find a more secluded spot than the middle of a disembarking jet." Mark stressed. "It's a bad idea to use it in public… especially here in London. There are several magic organizations melding with the public, including the Mages Association, the churches, plus I think a few magic families still run around the city. Any one of them catch you doing it in the public eye will be like signing your own death warrant."

"So they put a hit out on you for showing off? That's super harsh." Kinuhata replied. "Think they can tell the difference between magic and an Esper Ability?"

"Some of the more experienced will be able to tell… but not all. I would advise restraint within the city limits in the day." Mark replied.

"Hamazura… is magic really real?" Takitsubo asked as she leaned forward to push herself up out of her seat.

"It's more or less what she said. Saw her using it myself…" Hamazura replied, helping her up. "From what I hear though, don't use magic. Something about magic conflicting with an Esper's ability; bad stuff happens."

"The laws of magic and science conflict with each other constantly as they are not perfectly equal. Using magic as an esper will cause a rebound effect due to the clashing laws, causing your blood vessels to burst at random." Leivinia stated. "Don't worry; picking up some magic won't disable you from using your ability; for some reason the body prioritizes an Esper Ability instead of magic, so there won't be any harm using your ability if by some strange circumstance you learn mystic arts."

"…Hamazura, are you honestly sure she is telling the truth?" Mugino asked.

"I saw her throw an oil truck at a chick using some kind of spell revolving around Cinderella, and then ignite said oil truck with a flick of her wand… if someone wants to make the argument for a multi-skill esper, I'm all ears, but otherwise I'm more than certain its real." Hamazura replied.

"…Alright." Mugino replied. "I'll take your word for it, for now." She then glared at Hamazura, causing him to freeze up. "But watch your tone. I'm not a fan of sarcasm."

"R-right, sorry." Hamazura rubbed the back of his head. "Boss isn't the only one not adjusted to super-sonic flight you know. Just a little bit on edge."

"I still want to super know why you call him boss." Kinuhata stated.

"I'm more curious why this human isn't questioning it." Othinus nudged Touma's neck as she was sitting comfortably on Touma's shoulder.

"He has his reasons, I just respect them." Touma replied simply. After a short time they got their own luggage and disembarked, moving into London proper. The architecture of the city was completely different from Academy City, though what was quickly obvious was that the streets were flooded with way more people than back home. Everyone was up and about talking with friends or moving to the next stop in their daily routine.

"…Man, one of the few things I regret about dropping out; I do not understand what the hell these people are saying." Hamazura groaned.

"I'm still in school and I don't understand English." Touma added.

"I can speak English, it's super easy." Kinuhata chimed in.

"Had to do work revolving around visiting Americans, learning their language was part of the job." Mugino stated.

"I know Japanese, English, and French." Takitsubo joined in as well.

"Japanese, English, French, Spanish… spent some time in Africa so I picked up a little bit over there too." Leivinia announced proudly.

"I happen to be fluent in Russian." Mark chimed in.

"Japanese, English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Hungarian, Korean… I've learned a lot over the years." Index spoke.

"My speech ability had transcended the concept of language long before you all were born." Othinus added.

"…You ever feel like you're outclassed, Hamazura?" Touma asked with a pained expression.

"Welcome to my world, man." Hamazura sighed. The group continued walking and talking for a time until the streets thinned out as they made their way to less populated areas.

"How long before we can talk about this plan of yours?" Mugino asked.

"Was just entering a district that my Cabal had control of; no one of importance should be able to hear us or understand now." Leivinia answered as they passed a park bench. She rubbed it lightly with her hand with an annoyed expression. She turned to face Touma and pointed to the seat. The unlucky Kamijou was confused, but reasoned out that she wanted him to sit. He sighed and complied, but just as soon as he sat down, Leivinia climbed up the bench and plopped herself down into his lap.

"Toooouuummmmaaaa…." Index spoke in a dark tone. The spikey-haired boy fidgeted in confusion, turning to Othinus only to see her glaring at him as well.

"H-hey! I didn't know that's what was going to happen!" Touma shouted in his defense. "Come-on Birdway, why me!?"

"You should feel privileged that I have judged this position to be both warm and comfortable; not even Mark gets this kind of closeness with me." Leivinia replied. Mark groaned and shook his head.

"Oh… this could be fun…" Kinuhata cackled. "Hey, Kamijou-san! Room for one more!?" She said as she ran up to him.

"N-no! Personally I don't think there's enough room for the one that's already here!" Touma shouted.

"…Are you calling me fat?" Leivinia asked in a dangerous tone. Touma gulped; one false move would lead to a bad end.

"N-no! Of course not! I-it's just that you're a m-mature and well-grown lady and I fear you may fall and hurt yourself!" Touma tried his best to avoid death.

"…Well then, let's fix that and get niiiice and comfortable; make sure I can't fall off since your so worried about it." Leivinia said with a smirk, and began snuggling deeper into Touma's lap, causing the angry looks from Index and Othinus to intensify as Touma grew more nervous. "Don't get too excited that a cute girl is in your lap, you hear me?"

"Believe me; my self-control is maximum…" Touma groaned. "Anyway, hurry up and start explaining before I get assaulted…"

"I suppose now that I'm settled in…" Leivinia mused. "As you're all aware, the goal here is to stop abuse of a Holy Grail War's power…"

"Past people revived and fight and the winner gets a wish, and these guys super wanna rig it so they get the wish no matter what, got it." Kinuhata spoke.

"So how about some details. Location, number of hostiles, time of attack, additional notes?" Mugino asked rather officially; clearly she had done this before.

"Well… about a mile south west of the city there is a large mansion; you can't get to it from the roads and it's rather deep in a forested area; that's their base of operations." Leivinia began. "More than likely, the spell to force a war has already been used, so the number of masters should be seven, but for a number of members is rather difficult to determine, but more than likely the mansion is full; we'll be deep in hostile territory. Additional details I need to sort out with who's available from my organization, so I can tell you the exact strategy when the time comes. The summoning will have to take place at night to hide it from the magic organizations, so we should meet up around sunset and make our way over. The main goal here will be to disrupt the summoning ritual and prevent the masters from calling their Servants; without those they are just ordinary magi and easily dealt with."

"And our support?" Mugino asked.

"I will pull every member I can get my hands on; I am the leader of the largest Magic Cabal in the entire United Kingdom, you know." Leivinia proudly announced.

"I'm starting to get into this; it was super rare that we'd get actual back-up in our old operations." Kinuhata stated.

"I'm curious about these old operations… but I have the feeling I'll regret asking." Touma commented.

"You really don't wanna know…" Hamazura rubbed the back of his head.

"So… what should we do until then?" Takitsubo asked.

"Until then it's up to you." Leivinia replied. "Until we meet up there's not much to do. I already have my operatives related to observation of the opposition active, so any changes I'll be aware of. We should meet back here when the sun begins to set and make our way there."

"In that case… well; it's not like we're going to be visiting London again anytime soon…" Mugino commented. "I say we find a Hotel and see what we can find."

"I say we go shopping! I wonder if I can find any super special London fashion!" Kinuhata shouted happily. "Although… how should we do rooms? Should we do just one big room, two and two, or shell out for four separate rooms?"

"Four separate." Takitsubo replied simply. "Easier to sleep…"

"Figured you'd want two and two so you could share a bed with Hamazura…" Kinuhata commented. "…Or is this part of your plan to super have Hamazura ambush you for a late-night rendezvous!?"

"…Kinuhata. Your expectations are screwed up." Hamazura stated.

"Our relationship hasn't gone that far yet…" Takitsubo replied. "…And if it was, I'd be the one to ambush him."

"E-eh!? Takitsubo!?" Hamazura stated in shock as he flushed red, a noticeable trickle of blood coming from his nose.

"Oho! Super aggressive! Hamazura may be super-Hamazura-y, but his taste in women is top-grade!" Kinuhata joked.

"C-come on! Let's go!" Hamazura stated as the group split, the four members of ITEM heading down the street.

"Right… so we meet back here… got it." Touma nodded. "…Now can you get off me."

"…My feet hurt. Five more minutes." Leivinia replied like a child.

"Five more minutes my butt! And your feet are fine!" Touma replied.

"If you give me a back massage, I'll consider it." Leivinia flipped her hair back in defiance.

"…You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Touma groaned.

"Took you long enough to figure it out, huh?" Leivinia giggled. Touma reached for her but she had already leapt out of his lap to stand on the ground. "Alright, I've got business to do, remember; when the sun starts to go down!" Leivinia and Mark started their way down the street; their Cabal base of operations was admittedly nearby, so they could have spoken inside, but Leivinia seemed to pick the bench spot purposefully. After a short time of walking in silence, Mark seemed to speak up.

"So… boss…" He began, talking as if he was still trying to decide what to say. "…Did you have fun playing with your big brother?"

Leivinia's reaction was quick and merciless as she violently stomped on Mark's foot, causing the taller man to howl in pain as Touma watched them leave.

"…Wonder what that's about." Touma blinked as she saw Leivinia assault Mark. He stood up and took out his phone and started tapping away, as if he was sending a text message. "Alright, Index; let's go. We don't have a whole lot of time."

"…Huh? Where are we going Touma?" Index snapped out of her anger-induced trance when Touma called out to her specifically.

"To see some friends of ours who happen to be studying here in London… you'll remember them when you see them."

 **-Apartment Complex, 4:31PM-**

"Alright, it may be a bit early, but dinner is ready." A red-haired man spoke, clearly in his early twenties at the least.

"Shirou; what did you make this time?" A blond girl with her hair in a bun replied, poking her head around the corner to see into the main room.

"Fried chicken breast and rice. It's not special, but I tried something with the seasonings. I know you're eager to dig in, but could you get the table ready, Artoria?" Shirou asked, carrying out a tray.

"It's already done; put it in the middle." Saber replied, awaiting food. Shirou set the tray down and laughed a little bit.

"…Some one's hungry, I see." He stated plainly.

"Of course; one must be prepared for situations such as this. I even placed a fresh set of clothes for Rin in the bathroom for when she's out of the shower." Saber replied quickly.

"I can get my own clothes, thank you." A female voice sounded from within the bathroom before a girl around Shirou's age walked out combing her black hair. She was wearing a red shirt with a black min-skirt and black stockings. "…I should say thanks though. I haven't worn this in years… a little tight around the chest though."

"It's what happens when you get older, Rin. Would you rather it get tighter or looser as the years go by?" Shirou commented as he placed a bowl of fried rice onto the table as well.

"I wasn't complaining really, just shows that I've grown into a finely figured woman, fufu…" Rin looked proud, checking herself out in a mirror they happened to have in the room. "Since you brought that up, which of those two options would you prefer happen to me? I think I have an idea since you used my first name, after all."

"That's a loaded question and you know it." Shirou replied.

"But I could be asking for other reasons… in the world of Magecraft, just about anything is possible… fufu…" Rin asked in a devious tone.

"Stop trying to lure me into a trap and come eat." Shirou deadpanned as Rin giggled.

"Fine fine, it was worth a shot." She spoke as she moved and sat down at the table. Saber was already sitting down and ready to dig in as Shirou served her portion, but she suddenly paused as a phone went off next to her plate. She put down her utensils and was quick to answer it.

"So… I can tell she likes having a cell phone…" Shirou smiled as she served Rin her portion.

"I was a little confused why she suddenly asked for one… but considering who she's talking to it more than makes sense, eh?" Rin kept her mischievous grin in full view.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Saber replied quickly, her expression not changing in the slightest.

"Come on… you can tell me…" Rin scooted in closer. "So… how's he doing? Any idea if you're subtle advances have- ow ow ow!" Rin suddenly cried out in pain as Saber pinched her cheek.

"You know she doesn't like you questioning her about him…" Shirou sighed as he served himself and sat down.

"How else am I supposed to find out if she had done what apparently several other girls haven't been able to do…?" Rin wined.

"My personal life is my own and I'd appreciate it if you'd respect that, thank you." Saber replied.

"She's really come out into her own since we got back here…" Shirou commented.

"The fame bonus she gets by being here in London has given her a lot more freedom… even helps mitigate mana cost… must help being able to just roam around as a normal person rather than a king." Rin commented, taking a bite of her chicken.

"I really must thank you both again for this, I know maintaining me must be challenging." Saber replied as she put down her phone.

"Don't worry about it; we're happy to have you here, Artoria." Shirou cheerfully replied. Saber smiled in response, before her eyes darted back to her phone which had another message on it.

"Shirou… Rin… this may be an odd request, but what is our address? I haven't full memorized it." Saber asked.

"…Should I ask why you need to know it right now?" Rin questioned.

"Well…" Saber thought for a moment. "…Well, someone we know happens to be in the area…"

 **-12 Minutes Later-**

"Y-you're bad luck really hasn't changed… hah…" Rin spoke in a sympathetic tone.

"It was a clear and sunny day… why the hell was there a puddle on the side of the road...?" Touma asked as he shivered, currently wrapped in a big blanket.

"You're lucky we invested in a washer and a drier…" Shirou commented. "Are you sure you only need your clothes dried?"

"Drying them off is good enough… such misfortune…" Touma replied. "… Sorry to interrupt dinner."

"It's fine; don't worry about it. What are you doing here in London though?" Shirou asked.

"…Business is the easy answer." Touma replied.

"The difficult answer involves a Magic Cabal." Othinus replied, sitting on Index's shoulder instead of her normal seat.

"Eh…? Which one?" Rin asked.

"Not sure if I should answer… Birdway might kick me in the shin again if she found out I talked about it…" Touma sighed.

"…Birdway… as in Leivinia Birdway?" Rin asked in a hesitant tone. Touma nodded, causing Rin to let out a exasperated sigh. "Why do you know virtually every single powerful mage in the world…!? I could barely handle it when you said you knew Fiamma of the Right…!"

"Hey, I'm not trying to meet them! Nine times out of ten they come to me!" Touma defended himself, sighed and leaned back afterward as Saber walked out of the kitchen and handed him a cup of tea. "…Thank you, Saber. Something warm is just what the doctor ordered…"

"Please; call me Artoria. There's no need to be formal." Saber replied in a cheerful tone.

"…She's pushing for him to call her by her first name… could it be…!?" Rin whispered into Shirou's ear.

"…I don't know; she had us do the same thing." Shirou shrugged.

"Come-on; she does have some basic standing of Japanese culture! She knows what it means to have a boy call a girl by her first name there! And Kamijou-san is Japanese…!" Rin stated.

"Maybe, but she's English culture; here is common to call each other by their first name for simplicity." Shirou replied.

"Come-on... you acknowledged the possibility before we left Academy City…!" Rin continued to whisper.

"Sure… it's possible… but you're going to have to bring up better proof and just wanting to be called by her first name." Shirou responded.

"…What are you two whispering about?" Touma suddenly asked.

"N-nothing!" Shirou and Rin replied in unison. There was a short awkward silence before Touma broke it with a sigh.

"…Anyway… I had some free time so I figured I'd drop by." Touma answered.

"Need something to eat? We have some extra…" Shirou offered.

"No, thanks, I already ate… though Index will probably take you up on that offer…" Touma replied.

"The airline food was nowhere near enough… sorry…" Index rubbed the back of her head.

"…Guess there goes our chance at leftovers… oh well. Dig in." Rin replied. Index's eyes lit up as she practically flew over to the table, causing Othinus to fall. Luckily, Shirou managed to catch her.

"…Can't fly anymore?" He asked.

"It's an embarrassing story, don't ask…" Othinus replied. Shirou set her down on Touma's shoulder.

"So… what have you been up to since we last saw each other?" Shirou asked as he sat back down.

"…You want a list? I got a list." Touma sighed. He then began to go into detail about the St. Germain incident at the Dianoid, the invasion of the Magic Gods, notably the pursuit of the High Priest, and the recent incidents related to the World Rejecter, Kamisato Kakeru. Time flew fast as he spoke about the three major incidents he was involved with since the events of the Illegal Grail War.

"…I'm starting to think your bad luck goes beyond pure misfortune and chance and may be related to some kind of curse." Rin commented.

"I've checked my body all over; unless the golden king himself is somehow responsible, I can't find any other trace of magic on me…" Touma replied, holding up his left hand to show his Command Seal.

"Guh… knowing him he could be related… but that would only explain the events after the war…" Rin stated.

"Thus my point…" Touma leaned back. By this point he had changed into his now dry normal clothes.

"Is… this incident going to be another one of those misfortunate events, Touma?" Saber asked.

"…Truth be told, I don't know yet." He replied. "Birdway is involved, which means it's usually about three or four times as bad as usual… but from the sound of things it could be over tonight. Ideally I should be able to head home tomorrow or the day after."

"Are you sure you can't really talk about it?" Shirou asked.

"…I don't want to drag you guys into my problems. Plus… walls have ears if you know what I'm saying." Touma replied. Because of Leivinia's nature, he couldn't rule out that somehow, someway, she was listening in on their discussion.

"…Magic Cabals are serious business; unlike most magi families and other magi organizations, they aren't maintained or observed by the Mages Association, similar to Churches. Though they usually don't act against members of Clock Tower or the Association as a whole… a big enough Cabal like the Dawn-Colored Sunlight could definitely stand up to them if they wanted…" Rin stated.

"Yeah… speaking of; I need to get going. It's going to be a long night." Touma stood up and stretched for a bit.

"Hey, I don't mind joining up with you if you think you need some help." Shirou stated.

"Its fine, thanks though." Touma replied.

"If you happen to find yourself in trouble… don't hesitate to call any one of us." Saber spoke. "Just say the word, and we'll come find you, wherever you are. We won't let anything happen to you."

"…Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Touma replied. With that, Touma left the apartment alongside Index with Othinus comfortably sitting on Touma's shoulder once more. His statement however was definitely not wrong, however.

It was definitely going to be a long night.

* * *

 **Welcome to the bottom once more. Not much to say, so I hope your enjoying the progress so far.**

 **Review if you wish; I adore feedback**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	4. Raid Night

**And now we start to dig into the meat of things a little bit. This one is a tad shorter than the others, but you'll see why.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

There are still many woodland areas in the UK, even as far as around London. Though growing increasingly rare as humanity's desire for lodgings has increased, the forests of the United Kingdom still very much exist, and you never know what you'll find within.

But most won't expect a rather open field with a large three-story building, completely hidden by surrounding vegetation.

It was large, easily twice the size of a standard mansion in terms of area covered, but despite that the trees hid the structure from view, and even if they didn't, the magical effects placed around would. A bounded field kept the forest palace hidden from view and would turn away any and all travelers, as well make it unidentifiable from the sky; they would only see more trees in its place. As further precaution, most wild game have been driven off as well to prevent nosy hunters from accidentally stumbling upon the grounds in the rare event that the bounded field should be down or otherwise its effects disabled.

Only those of the magic world could find it… and even then, most wouldn't be able to pierce its defenses.

Leivinia Birdway was not classified under this category. Not only could she find it, she could break down the defense with her own prowess in the mystic arts, but in this case she took it one step further.

If one were to infiltrate the bounded field, or even simply destroy it, almost all inside would be able to detect it instantly, but if one were to take effective control of the field, it would be a different story entirely.

"You… weren't kidding, this place is huge." Touma commented. They had arrived just after the sun sent down, taking a car to the nearest road and walking from there.

"Yeah… I can see this place housing quite a few people…" Hamazura spoke as he stroked his chin in thought, carrying a large duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Only the higher members of the Cabal actually live on the grounds; most probably live in London or surrounding towns, but when a meeting is called they will inevitably all gather here." Leivinia stated.

"Alright, now that we are here, what's the plan of attack?" Mugino asked.

"After much discussion, we have decided on a plan to lure them out into the open." Mark started. "The entire perimeter is surrounded by our own magicians; the plan is to cause fire to the building to force those inside to leave it, and strike them when they exit the burning structure."

"Couldn't they just super put it out with magic?" Kinuhata asked.

"Correct; that is why the placement of the flames and their number is key. It will be set-up to make it appear as though they are under attack, and most will rush out to engage, only to be attacked from the forest they have relied on for defense for so many years." Mark finished.

"So lure them out and take them down from hiding… sounds good to me." Mugino nodded.

"If you guys want to make it seem like they're under attack, I have a good idea." Hamazura set down his bag and opening it and took out several plastic cases. "See these? Back when I was in Skill-Out, we'd use these as explosives depending on their size; sometimes to pop a door or to cause a big explosion to distract people away from us. They got adhesive strips that you can peel back to stick. Usually they are specially constructed to avoid detection, but since we're all the way out here, I had to use what I could find."

"Chances are really low of them having any kind of metal of chemical detectors out here, you know…" Othinus commented.

"Exactly; otherwise these things would have been a waste of time. There's no way for them to know what they are or how to know they're explosive, so it's perfect." Hamazura grinned sheepishly. "Stick 'em to the outside walls and let them think they're being bombed; really make them panic. They're all hooked up to a remote detonator so just pick the perfect time and watch the fireworks."

"…I like it! I like it a lot; give me the detonator; I'll set it off." Leivinia stated. Hamazura quickly took a small grey box with an antenna sticking out. A button could be found on the center, and it was noticeably small; able to sit comfortably in someone's palm.

"Button's a bit stiff, but it's intentional to avoid an accidental detonation. Be careful; if you press it all of the bombs will go off at once." Hamazura warned. Mark picked up the duffel bag carefully.

"You can leave distribution to me; I'll make sure good hands set them in place." He said as he closed the bag and quickly retreated into the forest proper.

"This is kinda cool… why didn't you say you could super make stuff like this?" Kinuhata asked.

"Cause Frenda handled all the explosives before, remember? Her stock was a lot more reliable than mine; this is all just back-alley stuff someone figured out and passed onto the rest of us." Hamazura pushed himself to his feet. "Got some handmade flashbangs too in case things get dicey."

"That shouldn't be necessary, but the thought is appreciated. Best to cover all options I suppose…" Leivinia replied. Takitsubo seemed to be eyeing the mansion rather intently. Hamazura put a hand on her shoulder as a form of comfort. Takitsubo turned to him and let out a small smile, putting one of her own hands on his before speaking.

"There is an Esper inside that building." She stated.

"…What? Are you serious?" Mugino questioned.

"No way; an Esper joining up with a Magic Cabal is unheard of." Index alleged. "Even if they did, there's no way they'd be able to perform magic because of the rebound effect."

"Her AIM Stalker doesn't super lie. If she says there's an Esper inside, there's an Esper inside; that's all there is to it." Kinuhata spoke up.

"…That makes this situation even more confusing." Touma stated. "How many are there?"

"Just one… which is troubling…" Takitsubo replied.

"…Yeah; that's really weird. There have been instances of magi and Espers coexisting before, but if there's only one… something doesn't feel right." Leivinia crossed her arms she thought out-loud.

"Bad enough to abort the job?" Mugino asked.

"No, and even if it was, this is a one-shot thing; we stop them tonight or not at all." Leivinia replied. "…Alright, you all should make yourself scarce; try to blend in like my subordinates; they all should have seen you by now and know you're not hostile, so you should be able to hide and peace. I'll look into this Esper situation myself as I observe the situation from inside."

"Wait… you're heading in alone?" Touma asked. "We don't know how many magicians are inside… it'll be dangerous. Are you sure that you can handle it on your own?"

"…Thanks for volunteering to be my bodyguard, Kamijou!" Leivinia spoke in an openly mocking tone as he grabbed Touma by his left and practically dragged him with her.

"H-hey! Not so hard! Have you ever heard of asking politely!?" Touma shouted.

"…I figured you'd be used to this by now, human." Othinus commented, still sitting on his shoulder. "Keep it down… you don't want them to hear, do you?"

"Guh! Right…" Touma sighed. "Are you sure you want to tag along for this? You know how situations like this usually go with me involved…"

"I have no intention of leaving your side, and even if I did…" She turned slow, glaring at Touma with a toothy grin clearly visible. "I'm not letting her drag you away anywhere I can't see alone, is that understood?"

"Y-yes ma'am." Touma stuttered out. Index glared with visible annoyance as Leivinia dragged the unlucky Kamijou away, but before long she felt someone pat her on the head, snapping her out of her trance.

"Don't worry, I have an idea. Hey, Kinuhata!" Hamazura called out. "Can you follow those two and make sure everything's on the level? I think it's safe to say we can't trust her with him alone."

"Do you think I'd say no and miss whatever super horrible things are going to happen to him? You don't even need to ask!" Kinuhata promptly moved to follow the duo that now seemed to be circling behind the structure.

"…I think she likes Kamijou-san." Takitsubo commented.

"As a person? Or as a source of entertainment?" Hamazura asked. Takitsubo thought for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. They retreated into the bushes and trees surrounding the area, waiting for the time to act.

Behind the building, the found a balcony, one of two on the back wall, that lead to the third floor. Even if the glass door leading inside was closed, it could easily be forced open, and appeared to be their easiest way of infiltration considering they knew little of their opponent's numbers or their locations within.

"Guess our only option is to climb, eh?" Touma scratched his head. Othinus climbed down Touma's shirt and quickly transitioned to his coat's pocket. The speed was surprising and showed off how good Othinus had gotten climbing up and down Touma's clothes in her tiny form. He gave his coat pocket a little pat, and Othinus looked back at him with a simple nod as she grabbed a hold of the material; safe and secure.

"Seems like it… oh well. I'll head up first and you can follow." Leivinia put her hands on her hips as she judged the situation.

"…Shouldn't I lead? You're wearing a dress and if I accidentally look up…" Touma trailed off.

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm wearing full leggings up to my waist, so you wouldn't see anything you shouldn't." Leivinia commented. Touma let out a relieved sigh, but Leivinia suddenly grinned. "…Or were you silently hoping to see something you shouldn't?"

"…No, I wasn't. The fact that I shouldn't see what I shouldn't see is why I brought it up in the first place!" Touma said with a deadpan expression.

"Isn't this the same as the swimsuit shop argument? Where you say you want to see less skin but secretly you want to see more?" Leivinia crossed her arms as she watched Touma try to save himself.

"Swimsuits are completely different from underwear!" Touma shouted.

"Not really; most swimsuits actually cover less skin than typical undergarments these days."

"That doesn't… ugh…" Touma let out a frustrated grumble as he noticeably blushed. Leivinia's grin widened as she observed the situation unfold.

"…You know; I could probably get you two super up there." A new voice appeared as Kinuhata walked up to the two.

"That would be handy, but it would mean I can't fluster him anymore." Leivinia replied.

"…You're the devil." Touma replied, clearly not amused to have his emotions played with.

"Oh! Can I join in? I haven't gotten him with an accidental skirt flip-trick yet!" Kinuhata asked happily.

"And you're just as bad!" Touma shouted. He groaned as Kinuhata and Leivinia giggled; clearly amused with their efforts to torment him. "Anyway… you said you could get us up… how?"

"Like this." Kinuhata then grabbed Touma's left hand and with surprising strength, hurled him into the air.

"W-what the hell is thiiiiis!?" Touma shouted as he was thrown. He landed on his back with only a little bit of pain from the impact. The arc at which he was thrown caused him to decelerate just as he reached the balcony, just barely clearing the railing. Touma rubbed his back and patted the floor, thanking whatever kind of god existed that the platform was stable. He checked his pocket to find Othinus still safe and sound, and let out a sigh of relief.

"KYAAAA!" Touma heard a scream from down below and looked behind him, attempting to look over the side, but before he could even reach the railing, Leivinia landed next to him in a similar position on his left side. "I-I-Is it over? T-that was too fast! S-seriously… no warning at all…!"

"…Birdway, was that you who just screamed." Touma commented, causing the blonde cabal boss to blush in embarrassment. "Everything's fine now, so relax. Are you ok?" Touma patted Leivinia's head gently with his left hand, causing the blush to spread until her entire face was a shade of red. After a moment she gently grabbed Touma's hand and set it on the ground next to her and Touma smiled; he had to admit that despite her rather manipulative nature she looked rather adorable with that timid look on her face.

His smile faded when she took out her wand and it shifted into the shape of a sword and she turned, appearing intent on running Touma through with it.

"H-hey! Wait a second!" Touma shouted as he scooted back.

"You. God. Damn. Idiiiiooooottttt!" Leivinia shouted as she tried to stab Touma with the blade, Touma holding her hands at bay at the wrist to stop her.

"So much for keeping quiet, huh?" Kinuhata was looking at the two from over the railing, her chin resting on her arms.

"H-how'd you get up here…?" Touma asked. The two stopped fighting when Kinuhata appeared.

"I climbed. My Offence Armor ability comes in super handy, huh?" Kinuhata then flipped over the railing with surprising agility and dusted herself off. "Shall we go?"

"R-right…" Leivinia got off Touma and dusted herself off. Kinuhata tapped the glass door a few times as she looked through it.

"Doesn't look like a bedroom… its dark, but it looks more like a common area; could be anything, but I don't super see a bed or any movement." She stated.

"They might be all be wherever they decided to hold the summoning ritual… we only know of the structure from the outside. The interior could be arranged in just about any formation you could imagine." Leivinia stated, looking through herself.

"Well, decision time; how are we breaking in?" Touma asked. "Noise could be an issue; anyone here know how to pick a lock?"

"Nope; looks like we're breaking it down." Kinuhata put her hands on the sliding glass door, intent on forcing it open with her Offence Armor, but it slid open without any resistance. "…Unlocked? That's super weird."

"…It is… admittedly with their protection their likely not expecting house-guests, but on a night when they should be avoiding any and all possible interruptions, it's more than a tad suspicious…" Leivinia spoke as the trio walked inside.

"Looks like a library of some kind to me." Touma stated. "…but it looks like they got a huge supply of rope lying around."

"Strands of rope this long are more than enough to tie off the side of that railing and touch the ground. I could be wrong, but it sounds like these were set here with the super intention of escaping." Kinuhata put her hand to her chin as she thought out loud.

"Our plan couldn't have been found out, could it?" Touma replied.

"Not a chance; I decided it and informed my magicians myself… and if there were any hint of deceit I would have detected it." Leivinia replied. She suddenly narrowed her eyes as she looked around. "…So if knowing our plan is impossible… why does it look like they're already preparing an evacuation…?"

"Could… could a faction within the cabal be planning a revolt of some kind? The rope could be set out as an emergency exit strategy in case things go south." Touma suggested.

"This is getting weirder and weirder… but each time we find something, the feeling I have that we're making the right call is growing. Let's see if we can get downstairs. Keep your eyes and ears open; you never know if anyone could be wandering the halls." Leivinia spoke as they exited the room, leading to a dark hallway. Touma briefly flipped a switch in the room they were just in to check if there was electricity; the lights proved as such, but made it more suspicious as to why all the lights were suddenly off.

They moved quickly and quietly. The mansion was very well maintained and appeared almost new; not a single creaky floorboard or step was found as they traversed the building. They moved downstairs and began checking rooms; every single one was empty, and most appeared to be bedrooms, bathrooms, or private studies, and all of them were dark. If it wasn't for the effort put into the bounded field it would be easy to say the building was abandoned, despite its clean appearance.

They searched until Touma heard what sounded like chanting from a set of large double doors with glass windows clearly presented. He called his comrades over as they looked inside.

It appeared to be a large ballroom of some kind; it looked like it belonged in a castle rather than a swanky mansion. It had several balconies that appeared to be accessed from the second floor and were also full of people, and the ceiling appeared to be about two stories up. The circular appearance and the galleries above gave the impression it was more akin to an arena, though the finely crafted and delicate looking floor suggested otherwise. Several members were crowding all around, each one carrying a single lone candle, with no other lights in the room visible.

The chants the trio heard were incantations; preparations for something, and it didn't take long to figure out what.

"They're setting up for the summoning ritual, no doubt about it." Leivinia whispered. "We don't have much time… but breaking in here would be terrible…"

"How about from a floor above? Think there could be a room over this one? With the low lighting it's doubtful that they could super see us if we cut a hole in the ceiling." Kinuhata suggested.

"…Right now it looks to be our only option. Let's go." Leivinia spoke and the group made their back to the third floor.

They could only judge the placement from the sound of the chanting, but when they found a spot where it appeared to be the loudest they set-up shop. Leivinia used her wand that was still in the form of a sword to slice open a section of the floor cleanly with wind magic, and before it could fall Kinuhata caught it and set it aside. Looking down gave them a better view; aside the magi they could see before they now saw four robed magicians each gathering around a magic circle.

"This must be it… these magicians super look more like they would in the movies than I thought." Kinuhata spoke.

"Only some of them look like that; never judge a book by its cover." Touma replied.

"Well, I guess so… though you must have a lot of super experience with this." Kinuhata stated.

"They have a lot more strange looks than just robes, trust me." Touma sighed as he watched the events unfold below.

"Come on… it's not like you saw a super busty girl with a Japanese sword and one of her jeans leg's tore off claim to be a magician before…" Kinuhata shot back. Touma simply pulled his head back and stared at her. "…Holy crap you super have met someone like that, haven't you!?"

"…She also said she was a Saint." Touma replied.

"Quiet you two! They may not see us but there's a chance they could hear us!" Leivinia warned as they shifted back to watching below. Kinuhata seemed to move around to adjust herself to get the best view.

"…Alright, so what now? What's the plan now that we're here? Set off those bombs and dive in during the confusion?" Touma asked.

"Don't worry; I have it all under control." Leivinia said. As Touma went back to watch, her sword turned back into a flower-like wand and she moved it below Touma's body, and not long after, an explosion send the now screaming Touma hurling towards the bottom of the arena, while Kinuhata and Leivinia remained in place.

"Holy shit… holy shit!" Kinuhata tried to hold in her laughter. "Did you super plan that? You know you just sent him into his death, right!?" She said in-between her small outbursts.

"No… but I've heard an odd rumor or two about their Cabal Boss… and I want to see him in action before we move in… besides; as long as he doesn't touch the bottom floorboard he'll be fine.

It didn't take long for Touma to hit the ground with a loud thud. He groaned as he rolled onto his back and put his hand on the ground. A shattering sound was immediately heard as the magic circle below was completely annihilated. He heard the murmurs of the surrounding crowd as he sat up and looked around.

"U-uh… g-guys…?" Touma looked around and gulped in fear before speaking again. "A l-little help… please…!?"

Those were his last words before the magicians acted violently to their plan being destroyed.


	5. Bad Level

**And now we begin to meet the Solution to Nothingness properly... as well as a little insight into whats going on...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Sorry for my sudden departure, but I have returned. Have the proceedings been going smoothly?" An old man with Brown eyes, long gray hair, and a short grey beard spoke as he opened a door to step forward onto one of the many galleries hanging over the ballroom where the ceremony was taking place. He wore a loose green robe tied by a rope at his waist, and was walking with a wooden cane due to his old age. He approached the railing to look over and join the group of people also over-seeing the ritual.

"Everything is normal; no interference. How was the bounded field?" A tall man asked. He had short black hair and brown eyes with a fit build with a little bulk to it hidden by his black and white high-class business suit. He was giving off a stern look.

"The abnormality faded before I had arrived. If it wasn't for the ritual, I would have left to speak to the trees, but I'm sure everything is fine, Albert; it was your late father's barrier after all." The old man spoke.

"Sage of the Wildwood," Albert began. "Such actions are inefficient. Even a small situation could escalate to destructive instances; destroying any and all possibility of failure is a must." He continued, turning to face the Sage.

"If Tree-Man-Kun says it's ok, then it's ok." A little girl spoke. She appeared to be about eight years old, and had long black hair and light green eyes, and had pale, almost white skin, and wore a simple white dress that went down to her knees and exposed her arms, with black leggings underneath her dress, and white shoes. The Sage's response was to gently pat the girl's head for a moment.

"It is not as simple as if to say that were I to say it that it would be certain, or a law, but thank you for your support Yukiko." The Sage said with a smile hidden by his beard.

"He is right; very few have been able to obtain a position to claim such. Only the gods themselves have been able to accomplish that." A man spoke as he suddenly materialized. He had short black hair and dazzling golden eyes. He wore a large white cloak draped over his shoulders with golden jewelry spread across them, but otherwise his torso was bare, save for two golden plates reaching around his sides near his stomach, and an elaborate golden-plated belt of sorts at his waist, and black pants that opened below his knees. He crossed his arms, which were contained in golden gauntlets that started at his elbows and ended at the back of his hands, leaving his palms and fingers exposed.

He was no simple man or even a magician, however.

He was a Servant of the Rider class, Ramesses the Second, otherwise known as Ozymandias, the Pharaoh who ruled in the time when Moses freed the Jewish people from slavery.

"You speak the truth, Ozymandias." The Sage replied. "I am once again made aware of how privileged I am to have forged a contract with you… otherwise none of this would be possible."

"There is no need to flatter me!" Rider replied. "Remember our deal; your forgiveness was tied to revealing to me who it was who first plundered Nefertari's necklace from her tomb. With their death your transgressions were cleared. Though we are not equal men, I am more than happy to work with you for the duration on this grand scheme you have constructed."

"…I miss Onee-san." Yukiko seemed to hide behind the Sage's body from the Rider.

"Why is it you are only comfortable around me when your Servant is near?" Rider questioned. "I am the King of Kings; you can trust my word when I say I mean you no harm, little one."

"Please forgive her… Yukiko is very temperamental about whom she meets and who she places trust into…" The Sage explained. Rider sighed and kneeled down so he was level with Yukiko, who proceeded to hide herself more to avoid him.

"Now, now. I assure you that I have no intentions of hurting you or whisking you away." He reached forward as if trying to pat the little girl's head. "Come come, would you like a present? How about a set of earrings to emphasize that adorable face of yours, hmm?" Yukiko backed away but before his hand could reach her, he felt another's grip on his own hand.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't try to corrupt my master with bribery, Rider." A female voice sounded. Rider looked to the right and noticed someone he didn't before.

Though it's not as though she suddenly appeared to attack him, it's more like Rider was unable to perceive her presence. She had long black hair that fell gracefully to the floor as well as grey eyes with slit pupils, and finally elongated, pointed ears. She wore a large elegant black dress that revealed a reasonable portion of her chest and shoulders with black gloves that went up to her forearms, and finally black high-heel dress-shoes. Her skin was practically radiant; she fit the role of a, "Peerlessly Beautiful Woman," with perfection, though the disapproving look on her face was far from kind.

"Presence Concealment; with a rank like yours I feel insulted that it was able to fool me…" Rider replied. "Are you sure you are not an Assassin?"

"My master can confirm my Double Summon skill if you doubt that I am a Caster in this war. To me; whether I am summoned as an Assassin or a Caster is irrelevant." She replied.

"…As expected of the great poisoner queen Semiramis." Rider shook off the woman's hand and he stood up.

"That's, "Wise Queen of Assyria," to you, Ramesses the Second." Caster replied, clearly displeased.

"I told you; call me Ozymandias." Rider replied. Caster glared at him for a time, before suddenly being distracted by a sudden pressure on her leg.

"Onee-san! You're back!" Yukiko hugged the queen's leg affectionately. Semiramis smiled and returned the sentiment by rubbing the young girls head.

"I never left; I was simply hiding so I could protect you from scoundrels such as this." Semiramis replied.

"…I'm the scoundrel? I'm starting to think you're not aware of your own legends, woman." Rider stated with an annoyed look.

"Master, is it time to act? I grow tired of listening to these two bicker back and forth." A female voice sounded from a large suit of white and red armor, though the height of the suit suggests that the user would only be about five feet and one inch tall. The helmet had very large, noticeable horns and the user's arms were crossed and tapping a finger impatiently.

"The point of this is to use an element of surprise tactic; until their servants are summoned we cannot move into the next phase." Albert answered.

"I understand your desire for combat, Saber, but we must have patience." The Sage stated. "The element of surprise is paramount for usurping Lazarus Wolfchild's rule over the cabal. I implore you to wait just a little longer."

"…Very well. For the sake of victory, I will restrain myself." The Saber replied. Before anyone could speak further, a loud scream filled the ballroom.

It is here that Touma fell from the third floor into the ritual site and destroyed the circle used for summoning with his right hand.

 **-Present time-**

"…This is bad… this is really bad…!" Touma muttered to himself as he climbed up to his feet. As he looked around he saw all of the magicians wearing hooded robes that hid their faces from view; he couldn't make out a single facial feature out no matter who he looked at.

"…Hey, what the hell is this?" One the magicians preforming the summoning ritual suddenly pulled his hood back, revealing his straight brown hair and his red eyes. "Is this someone's brat or something? Because I'm not amused!" Numerous murmurs went back and forth between the magi forming the crowd. Up above one of the Galleries only had two occupants that seemed to be watching the situation unfold with interest.

One was concealed behind the visage of a grey knight's helmet that only allowed his shining blue eyes to be seen, the rest of his body obscured by a thick cloak, but appeared to be in a sitting position regardless. The other was a woman with blue-eyes and brown hair that went down to just below her chin, and was wearing glasses, a black jacket over a short sleeved frilled blouse, and a loose black skirt that went down to her knees with black leggings and average-looking black shoes.

"…Lazarus, should we end this before this escalates?" The woman asked. The man named Lazarus turned his head to face the woman, but did not speak a single word. After the moment the two glanced back at the scene unfolding below. "…I understand; wait and see. They may be able to handle the interruption."

"So… no one knows the kid, right? Safe to say he broke in somehow, right? Who wants me to stone this prig!?" The red-eyed man spoke out again.

"Minho; come on! Stop trying to show off!" Another one of the summoners answered; he sounded male as well but his voice appeared to be younger.

"Seriously; this kid somehow destroying the circle already set us back a full hour! Get on with it!" This time a woman replied.

"Alright, alright… don't get your panties in a twist, christ." The red-eyed man known as Minho responded.

"H-hey, we can talk about this!" Touma took a few steps back.

"No can do, boyo." Minho replied, covering his eyes. A purple magic circle appeared in front of his palm and quickly vanished. "Don't worry… it won't hurt one little bit. Just look into my eyes!" He pulled back his hand and his eyes had turned into a dark purple color, and his pupils had turned into boxes, emitting a pale purple light.

"…S-square eyes!? How the hell does that work!?" Touma shouted. Minho's face shifted to confusion.

"The hell? I did activate it… right? The Gorgon's curse should be active…" Minho commented as he narrowed his eyes.

"Isn't that a laugh!" Said the largest of the summoners, noteworthy for his big stature and his unique set of red mage robes. "The great Minho's favorite curse fails… how interesting!"

"Shut up ginger-kid! I'm busy!" Minho suddenly shifted his head to look at one of the mages in the room. The effect was immediate; the man began to scream as his body slowly turned to stone, clothes in all. The magician struggled to try and reverse the effect, but any chance of that was gone the moment his hands froze in place. Over the course of about ten seconds, what was once a man now stood a terrified statue.

"What… did you…!?" Touma gritted his teeth anger.

"…So it is working, just not on you. Ain't that a pile of shit." Minho's eyes returned to their normal red shade and shape.

"Ok, you confirmed your spell, now change him back. That face he's making is giving me the creeps." The woman called out.

"Right, right… you're worse than my mother." Minho held up one hand open palmed. A white light emanated brightly before an orb formed in the air, flying on its own to the petrified man. On contact the statue absorbed it, and shortly after cracked and shattered, the man reappearing unharmed as the stone flakes fell and vanished. He checked himself quickly to make sure, letting a sigh of relief.

"Now that you've displayed how to fail in eliminating an intruder, allow me." The woman held out her own palm and a red light appeared and erupted into fire. The woman aimed her hand at Touma and the flames shot off like a rocket towards him.

Touma's reaction was swift as he brought up his right hand and smacked the flames out of the air, a loud shattering sound erupting as the attack was completely obliterated. The woman stood there confused as to how her attack was stopped.

"...What was that about failing to eliminate the intruder?" The large red robed man crossed his arms in disappointment.

"…Ok, makes sense now; shit! What the hell are you doing here!?" Minho backed up slowly.

"…How interesting." Up above, the Saber expressed interest in the events down below. "That boy was able to stop a fire attack with ease, and proved to be completely immune to petrification…"

"…Sage, is that him…?" Albert asked with his arms crossed.

"No doubt; able to exterminate all magic with his right hand, and able to do so while remaining unharmed…" Sage narrowed his eyes. "The Imagine Breaker… Kamijou Touma."

"Kamijou Touma…?" Rider spoke. He focused his eyes on the boy, his eyes narrowing. "…He who purifies the god and exorcises the devil? How blasphemous to even imply that the gods require such a thing as purification… allow me to remove this stain from the world."

"Hold on… something isn't right…" Sage stated.

"…How did he get here?" Yukiko asked. Suddenly, the lighting in the ballroom kicked on and suddenly focused on the top of the room as a voice called out.

It was Leivinia Birdway, hanging from one of the ropes from the library into a make-shift lift, holding her in the air as she stood with one hand on the rope and one foot placed on the lift.

"Howdy boys and girls, long time no see!" Leivinia grinned wide. "Heard you folks have been getting really friendly with some of my boys! They complained about the unwanted attention so I decided to pop and set the record straight; no one attacks members of the Dawn Colored Sunlight and gets away with it!" She then reached into her dress and pulled out Hamazura's detonator. "Let's make this show flashy, baby!" She then pressed the button down, a small beep coming from the device.

Explosions rocked the mansion as Hamazura's explosives went off, as well as fire-based seals ignited, spreading fire wildly as they ignited. The murmurs from the magicians turned into shouts and screams as they quickly realized their base had been infiltrated.

 **-Shirou's Apartment-**

"…Did anyone else feel that surge of mana just now?" Rin commented.

"No but I felt shockwaves; something just exploded." Shirou commented. "It was small, so it must have been far away…"

"I can see smoke…" Artoria stated as she looked out the window. Though it was faint, evident of how far away the incident was, there was definitely a plume of smoke in the air. It was far away from London, easily outside the city limits, but it was definitely there.

"Holy… I wonder what's going on over there… forest fire? I guess military could be testing explosives, but to do so this close to London…" Rin thought out loud as she crossed her arms.

"…I think I know. He said he was here for a reason, after all." Shirou frowned.

"…What shall we do?" Artoria asked, her face appearing serious.

"Isn't it obvious? If he's gone and got himself into trouble, then he's going to need someone to save him." Shirou backed away from the window and found himself a coat, getting ready to head out into the winter cold.

"I'll stay here. If whatever's happening is magical in nature, the association will be first to check on magi to make sure they're safe and not involved; you'll need an alibi." Rin replied. "I can fool them so you don't have to rush back; go off and be a Hero of Justice to your heart's content."

"Alright… Artoria?" Shirou called out to the King of Knights. Artoria's response came in the form of a flash of light that enveloped her, and after a moment she reappeared in her armor; the very same that she had when they first met. What she said next was simple.

"Let's go."

 **-Solution to Nothingness Headquarters-**

"Alright, phase one super successful! What's next boss-lady?" Kinuhata asked, not excitement quite obvious.

"We go down there and make some noise! We still have a Cabal Boss to lure out!' Leivinia let go of her rope to let herself fall into the thick of it.

"I was hoping she was going to say that!" Kinuhata cheered as she dove down herself.

"Leivinia Birdway… that bitch…!" The woman standing next to Lazarus cursed as water rose around her, lifting up several golden segments that all combined into a large trident. She aimed it at the descending Leivinia and a large beam of light shot out from one of the points. Leivinia saw this and drew her brown wand once more as it transformed into a brown sword, swinging the blade in the woman's direction, unleashing a slash made of air pressure. It stalled the blast for a time, long enough for Leivinia to descend safely. The two girls landed without much incident in the room amidst all the chaos.

"It's about time! I almost got toasted…!" Touma shouted.

"Shut up you big baby; timing is everything in these kinds of operations." Leivinia shot back with a smirk.

"Ok… no more Mr. Nice Minho…!" The red-eyed male kicked up a duffle bag he had behind him and caught it in the air. Ripping the bag off revealed a large sledge hammer covered in numerous inscriptions; it was clearly enchanted. "Try this on for size you pieces of shit!" He swung it down onto the nearest person, which happened to be Kinuhata. She reacted quickly, stopping the hammer with both of her hands. The force of the impact was enough to crack the floor, but otherwise did little to the girl.

"Not bad…!" Kinuhata spoke, gritting her teeth as she held off the weapon.

"The fuck…!? This thing should weigh about as much as a mini-van for anyone not gripping the handle…!" Minho gritted his teeth as he tried to force the hammer down further.

"I noticed; sucks that you decided to super swing it at me…!" Kinuhata groaned. Touma grabbed a hold of the hammer with his right hand and Imagine Breaker made quick work of the enchanted weapon as its enhancement was completely negated and the sledge hammer shattered. Kinuhata grinned and stepped into Minho's guard with a chambered fist and slammed it into the man's stomach. The red-eyed male was ejected from the center of the room as he slammed through several magicians before crashing right through one of the walls into an adjacent hallway.

"Whew! Super Combo!" Kinuhata popped her knuckles. "Too bad you're a good guy; you would have fit right into ITEM otherwise, Kamijou-san!"

"Let's discuss what I would and wouldn't be later! We still got a full room of these guys!" Touma replied.

"Lazarus… we need a plan. Somehow the leader of the Dawn Colored Sunlight got her hands on the Imagine Breaker…" The woman standing next to Lazarus stated. The man's response was to stand up fully from his chair and toss aside the large cloak that was covering him. Underneath, he wore a long red scarf around his neck, which flowed down his back with two tails, a black body-suit with a metallic black chest plate covering his torso, overly-large golden gauntlets that went up to nearly his elbows covering his hands/arms, and black pants with metallic black boots.

He turned to face the woman, silently staring at her.

"…Understood. Let's do it." The woman stated. The two rose into the air and after a moment, the gallery they were using was blasted apart by an unseen force. The two then descended, the Magicians clearing the area to let the duo land.

"…That must be Lazarus Wolfchild… the leader of the cabal." Leivinia narrowed her eyes

"Woah, you can use magic to fly too? That's super cool!" Kinuhata stated.

"You can… but I didn't feel any change in his mana flow when he took flight… nor the woman's… this is strange; be careful." Leivinia warned.

"Hey, Victoria!" The large man in the red robe called out to the woman next to Lazarus. "What's the plan?"

"…The facility has been compromised. The orders of Lazarus Wolfchild are to retreat and reconvene at a later date. We will hold the enemy here to prevent pursuit." The woman known as Victoria replied.

"You heard the lady! Fall back and regroup! And someone pick-up Minho if they see him!" The large man called out. The crowds of magi began to disperse, leaving the hall as quickly as possible, eager to escape outside.

"What should we do, Sage?" Albert above asked.

"…We should try to escape ourselves; those that side with us will gather at our usual point to the west." Sage stated. "There is no doubt in my mind that this is a trap; be careful."

Before the group could move, Lazarus acted, catching their attention for a brief moment. He held out his hand and a large pitch-black orb formed, emitting a purple light despite being colorless. It fired off, taking the form of a spear as it flew. The blast was powerful; easily destroying pieces of the ground below as it traveled. It appeared to be aimed at Leivinia, but Touma moved in front to block the attack with Imagine Breaker, proving quite effective.

"Shit…! This guy is going to be a problem…!" Touma spat. Leivinia appeared as though she were about to talk, but with one hand motion from the opposing cabal boss both Leivinia and Kinuhata were thrown across the hall by an invisible force. Touma tried to move after the two, but suddenly Lazarus appeared in front of him, smashing his fist into Touma's stomach. The blow sent the unlucky Kamijou reeling back.

Lazarus formed and fired another orb of energy, only for it to be negated as Touma recovered and threw himself forward, ready to fight again. Touma's attacks failed to hit the cabal boss however as Lazarus would quickly maneuver out of the way with relative ease, and counter attack.

It wasn't to say that Touma didn't know Lazarus was about to attack, it boiled down to timing of his strikes in the brief periods where the unlucky Kamijou was vulnerable after an attack of his own missed. Lazarus clearly had some form of combat training, and was just as obviously highly skilled in such, and although Touma was a skilled fighter, most of his knowledge came from experience rather than any formal training.

Simply, Lazarus excelled in hand-to-hand combat while Touma did not; The cabal boss knew exactly when to strike and did so in ways that prevented Touma from either blocking or dodging them.

Eventually Touma was knocked onto his back, and before he could stand, Lazarus was already hovering over him. Still reeling from the previous blow, all Touma could do was hold up his arms in a form of a block in hopes that it would somehow protect him from the blow.

There was no sound of metal hitting flesh and destroying bone.

All that could be heard was the sudden destruction of a wall, followed by the sound of a motorcycle engine, and finally the impact of metal meeting metal. A voice called out to him as two bodies of solid steel grinded against each other.

"Are you alright, Touma?" The unlucky boy in question lowered his arms to see Artoria Pendragon blocking Lazarus' attack with her own sword, currently concealed by Invisible Air.

"S-Saber…!" Touma stuttered out, surprised. Artoria only smiled back at him.

"Please; there is no need to be formal. I told you before, you can just call me Artoria." With a sudden burst of strength, Artoria forced off the cabal boss who was quick to fly backward, giving a fair distance between the two. Slowly Touma pulled himself to his feet. He looked around, still hearing the sound of an engine, only to see a motorcycle lying on its side a fair bit away from him; despite being abandoned and skating across the room, it was in surprisingly good condition.

"H-hey… that's how you got here so fast… right? How'd… you get that?" Touma asked.

"It's mine." Artoria responded. "I am proud to announce that it was my first purchase since formally integrating into society; it works well with my Riding skill." She spoke with pride, clearly satisfied with it.

Touma wanted to question how she managed to buy it in the first place, but decided to ignore his curiosity.

"…Alright, let's finish this up." Touma stated. Artoria nodded and gripped her sword tight as she prepared for Lazarus' counter-attack.

The group of masters above were watching the situation with care.

"…I don't know how the hell they got their hands on their own Servant, but that decides it; we're leaving." Albert moved to leave, as did the others as Rider and Caster faded away into spirit form, but the Saber stood still, gripping the railing tightly. "I said let's go!" Albert tried to grab the Saber but she shrugged off his grip, and tore off her helmet with her other hand.

Her hair was blond and tied back, and seemed to spike out in several directions. Her skin was clean, and her eyes were green. With her helmet fully removed, she shouted out a single phrase.

"What the hell are you doing here, Father!?"

* * *

 **And that's the end... so; what do you all thing so far?**

 **Review if you wish, as i said, I like to hear people's opinion!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	6. Chaos

**And now we get to see some of the Servants and Masters show off a little bit more!**

 **Also, someone pointed out that the last portion of the translation of Touma's name is "slays demons" instead of "exercises the devil," but I've actually seen it translated both ways over the years... and I decided to go with what I have because I like how it sounds better. Hope that clears that little thing up.**

 **That said, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"…Mordred?" Artoria looked off at the balcony that the Saber stood. There was a noticeable look of confusion on her face as the two stared at each other.

"I'm confused… who is that?" Touma asked.

"Hah! My father is your ally yet you do not know about the son? How much more pathetic could you get!?" The Saber known as Mordred hopped off the gallery and landed with a crash.

"…But you're a girl! And so is she!" Touma protested. "And besides, I'm not exactly an expert on lore of King Arthur! I'm from Japan not the British Isles! Have more realistic expectations! Can't you tell that I'm clearly speaking Japanese!? You're speaking it too you know!"

"Like any of that matters! The legends of King Arthur some of the most famous stories ever created! And what does my gender have to do with anything, you uncultured piece of shit!?" Mordred shouted angrily.

"…Touma, I could consider it wise to not reference gender when speaking to Mordred." Artoria warned, turning her invisible blade toward the Saber.

"Ugh… I thought it was weird that only four were doing the summoning… I guess some of the other Servants were called forth after all…" Leivinia rose slowly, recovering from the jarring throw. Up above, Albert stood over the railing, gritting his teeth.

"Damn it all… the chances that King Arthur would be here were so low… how is this possible…!" Albert stated. He could only think of the Illegal Grail War event that sent waves through the magic side due to its occurrence in Academy City, but he never thought for a moment that the King of Knights would have been summoned for that war, and much less that the British King would remain in this world.

"Albert, let us retreat for now. We don't have much time; if Leivinia Birdway is here I doubt she came alone." Sage called out.

"What do we do about Saber?" Albert asked, pulling away from the railing.

"Not much choice; when we reach safety, you'll have to use a command seal. Ordering her to retreat now would be catastrophic due to her mental state." Sage stated. Albert looked back one time before moving away from the railing and exiting the gallery, intent of escaping.

"Alright…!" Mordred, the Saber, snickered as she held up her blade. "This is exactly how I always wanted it, to tell the truth. Just you and me… no troops, no curses… nothing but us…!"

"…Do you think you can hold her off, Sab- Artoria-san?" Touma asked. The response of the blond king was a simple nod. "Alright… I'll try to help with the big guy then I'll see what I can do to back you up."

"Be careful, Touma." Artoria warned. She had little time to talk further as Mordred charged forward with a downward strike. Artoria blocked the blow with her own sword and the clash escalated quickly as the two fought.

Lazarus flew forward, propelling himself through the air with an unknown method, but something cut him off before he could land a blow.

" **Hrunting!"** A blood-red shot erupted from the hole in the wall that Artoria came from, nearly hitting the cabal boss. Lazarus actually had to fire a blast forward to create enough force to blast himself out of harm's way; the spell being negated by Touma. The red attack blasted right through a wall like it was paper.

"Back-up is here, Kamijou-san!" Shirou shouted out from the hole, holding a bow in hand.

"More of them keep coming…!" Victoria called out, aiming her trident at the red-haired male, only to be hit by slabs of the earth from below. Leivinia stood proudly as her sword had turned into a disk, and with her movements the dirt responded, violently attacking the trident-wielding magician.

"As much as I'd like the honor of taking down the boss… the second in command will have to suffice; progress before pride after all!" Leivinia smirked as the disk turned back into a wand and a wall of fire erupted from in front of her, traveling quickly to meet Victoria. With a hand motion from the magician, water erupted from the ground to form a wall to block the flames.

"Even spells as powerful as yours are no match for magic belonging to the God of the Sea!" Victoria held her hand overhead and the water gathered, forming a lance. She thrust her hand forward and the lance fired, only to be sliced in two by a blade formed from compressed air, as Leivinia's wand turned once more into a sword.

While those two exchanged blows, Touma ran straight for Lazarus, chambering a fist. Lazarus appeared to be taking special care to not be hit by Touma's right hand, something that Shirou tried to use to his advantage. Each time Lazarus moved to dodge, Shirou formed and fired a variety of blades and arrows in an attempt to trap the cabal boss, but each time Lazarus managed to send them away or outright evade them with rapid movement. Finally, Shirou seemed to have had enough, and formed one more arrow.

The arrow looked more like a sword, and was distinct for its spiral nature.

" **Caladbolg!"** Shirou fired the spiral arrow at the cabal boss with haste. However, Lazarus was able to send the arrow upward with whatever telekinetic power he had, but this did not constrain the attack's effects after it hit the ceiling. Caladbolg exploded violently, easily destroying the upper floors and catching the attention of the cabal boss who narrowed his eyes.

What he didn't notice however was movement below him. Suddenly Kinuhata burst from below and before Lazarus could even look down, struck him in his armored stomach, easily denting the metal and causing Lazarus to let out a sound similar to a grunt. Kinuhata repeatedly struck Lazarus' torso, each blow appearing painful by the shifts in his eyes, before a final punch struck Lazarus' face, forcing in the knight's helmet and sending the cabal boss flying backward into a wall.

"Whew! That felt super good! Serves you right asshole!" Kinuhata proudly announced.

"K-Kinuhata-san, h-how did you get underground!?" Touma stuttered out.

"I told you, my offence armor is amazing!" Kinuhata proudly declared.

"Don't get overconfident!" Shirou shouted. With a loud bomb the wall exploded outward and Lazarus walked back into the open. The dents in his armor were there, but after a moment they all popped back out, possibly using his own ability on his armor to fix the damage done. He charged forward, soaring through the air to re-engage.

But there was also another heated battle still going inside the heavily damaged ballroom.

Artoria and Mordred clashed blades violently. Artoria was strictly on the defensive as Mordred violently assaulted the King of Knights. However, Mordred's own appearance gave the impression of frustration.

"Why… why why why!?" Mordred shouted louder with each swing, growing angrier and angrier, while Artoria remained rather stoic in comparison. "Why… are you still… not taking me seriously!?" She slammed her blade against Artoria's own, sending the King of Knights backward. Artoria remained standing however, aiming her blade at Mordred once more.

"…Because if all you're going to do is flail that sword around and scream like a spoiled brat, I see no reason to exert the effort to cut you down, Mordred." Artoria replied. This appeared to be the last straw as Mordred raised her blade high, red electricity arcing off it wildly.

"Fine… if that's how it is, then I'll MAKE you take me seriously!" Mordred shouted as the energy gathering in her blade increased, the red lightning arcs increasing in number as well as their power. Artoria's expression finally changed as she gritted her teeth, predicting what was coming next.

'I can defeat her Noble Phantasm with Excalibur… but if I do that, the resulting blast could annihilate everyone else… and if it missed, it could travel into a populated area…!' Artoria thought as she weighed her options. 'All I can do… is use Invisible Air and hope it can hold!' The Invisible Air surrounding her blade dispersed and began to gather around her like a barrier of wind. Mordred smirked as she recognized her superiority in the situation.

"Let's see how Merlin's magic has held up all these years then, shall we!?" Mordred called out, referencing Invisible Air's origins. **"Clarent Blood Arthur: Rebellion Against My Beautiful Father!"** Mordred swung her blade down and unleashed a massive wave of red lightning, tearing apart the floor as it traveled, the blasts smashing into its target. Mordred's grin widened as the blast appeared to strike Artoria, but this face of confidence shifted to shock and then anger when after a few short moments, a loud shattering sound filled the room as the red lightning faded, revealing Kamijou Touma standing in-between the two, his right hand out-stretched.

"Touma…!" Artoria called out in apparent surprise. Perhaps due to her focus on defense, she hadn't even noticed him move.

"Seriously… why does every single electricity-using person I meet have to be so freaking violent!?" Touma shouted.

"Why… you…!" Mordred's hand's shook as she grasped her blade tightly, but not from fear. Her anger skyrocketed as she gritted her teeth. "How… dare you… interfering with my fight…!? And you toss my Noble Phantasm aside as if it was a piece of trash!?"

"What were you expecting!? You think this is some kind of arena? No, this is an all-out brawl where anything and everything is fair game! After seeing that attack build up, did you expect me to just stand there and do nothing!?" Touma shouted.

"Get. Out. Of. My. WAY! This is MY fight and you have NO RIGHT to stand between me and my father!" Mordred's anger was still increasing; her blade gathering energy as it sparked with red bolts of lightning.

"Not a chance! Artoria-san is my friend! And you expect me to just abandon her to satisfy you!? I don't care if your Artoria-san's son, daughter or whatever; I'll shatter that fucked up illusion of yours!" Touma shouted back. Mordred continued to stare Touma down as she let out a low growl. She then noticed something peculiar about the unlucky Kamijou.

A command seal; partially faded. By her guess it would be good for at least two more uses.

"…So that explains it." Mordred stated. "The master doing everything he can to protect her Servant…? Is that it!?"

"I'm not her master; her master isn't even here." Touma shot back. "If you want to know, last I heard mine is somewhere in the United States. I'm doing this to protect my friend, so don't go putting words into my mouth, understand?" Touma replied. This actually confused Mordred more.

To most, Servants were just another form of familiar. Though keeping a good relationship with their Servant was paramount to victory in a Holy Grail War, they were still disposable summons made to die for their master's desires.

Why did this boy stand up to defend a Servant's temporary existence?

"…What's your angle, huh? What do you get out of stopping me, boy!?" Mordred demanded.

"Honestly, I'd be satisfied if after this she could just tell me she was ok; that my efforts weren't wasted. I'm here because I want to be. That's all there is to it." Touma replied.

"…Who the hell do you think you are!?" Mordred asked with venom apparent in her voice.

"Kamijou Touma; I'm just an average high-schooler that you can find anywhere." Touma replied.

That's what did it; Mordred's reason shattered into a million pieces right then and there.

She knew what a high-schooler was; the basic information given to her by her summoning answered any questions she could have about one.

But this boy in front of her interrupted the fight she wanted so badly and moreover was able to deal with her Noble Phantasm like it was just a minor inconvenience.

Everything else she could understand to an extent, but the idea that someone capable of doing all of that just being an average school student was simply too much for her to endure.

She found the thought to be completely and totally asinine.

"Damn it all, I don't fucking care anymore!" Mordred shouted at the top of her lungs as she unleashed red lightning from her blade, Clarent, with it meeting the same fate as her full-powered Noble Phantasm due to Imagine Breaker. "I don't fucking give a shit what you have to say, what you're trying to do, or why! I'll kick the shit out of you, and force you to tell me the truth! You hear me!? I will fucking beat what I want to hear out of you!" Mordred, though caught in the middle of her fit of rage, seemed to reason out that Clarent's abilities alone would do little at this point and charged forward with a sudden mana burst in an attempt to bring the blade down on top of the unlucky Kamijou.

Her blade met solid steel as Artoria suddenly moved in front of Touma, blocking the slash. This action seemed to snap Mordred out of her rage-state due to shock; Touma was standing ready to intercept the attack on his own, yet Artoria acted anyway to stop her. It completely threw her off; she was planning on using Touma's change in stance to her advantage by mixing up her usage of the sword, but Artoria moved anyway; like she had seen through her plan.

Artoria's eyes were serious; completely unlike before. Mordred could feel the strength coming from her "father's" blade; keeping her own at bay.

"You will not harm him, Mordred! Do you understand me!?" Artoria's voice as much more forceful; all of this made it more apparent that she was finally taking her seriously. But what confused her was why she decided to do so.

The only thing she had done was threaten the boy; was that really the cause?

If it was, what did this boy mean to Artoria to cause such a sudden shift in attitude towards her?

She wanted to understand.

She wouldn't understand.

She couldn't understand.

"Why… now of all times…!" Mordred gritted her teeth; she didn't want to admit that her previous usage of mana for her Noble Phantasm had left her rather winded; she could use Clarent's full power at least three, possibly four more times, but it still meant that she wasn't at her best. Artoria however was still mostly fresh, and displayed as such by throwing Mordred off of her. Mordred leapt backward a fair distance and held up her blade.

"Are you alright, Touma?" Artoria asked, her body still facing Mordred. "I'm sorry; it seems that I have unintentionally involved you in my own personal dilemma."

"…I should be asking you that. All things considered… isn't she still your… kid?" Touma asked. Artoria didn't answer, and it drove Mordred crazy inside.

Because in a way, Mordred herself wanted to ask Artoria a very similar question.

"…It's difficult dealing with someone who knows so little about you… isn't it?" Mordred asked in a surprisingly calm tone.

"It cannot be helped." Artoria answered. "I don't mind… in some ways it's a blessing; there are some things about me I would rather keep hidden."

"Like me?" Mordred narrowed her eyes. Like before, Artoria didn't answer. They both gripped their respective swords tightly.

"…If you want me to fight seriously, then so be it." Artoria eventually spoke. "The result will not be the same as it was in life, Mordred."

"Funny; I was going to say the same thing." Mordred replied, grinning. The tension in the room was rising as they both prepared to strike each other.

However, such a clash was not meant to be.

"By the order of this Command Seal," The voice of Albert rang in Mordred's head as she widened her eyes, as if knowing what was coming. "…I command you to return to my side at once."

Mordred didn't even have time to shout an expletive before she suddenly vanished from sight.

 **-Outside-**

"Why the hell did you recall me!?" Mordred shouted. She now stood hidden amongst shrubbery and trees alongside her master. "It was time; she had finally decided to fight me with everything she had! Why did you have to pick now of all times to force me to retreat!?"

"Please understand; it was for your own good." Albert replied.

"That better not be all you have to say to me, or those last two command seals aren't going to be enough to save you…!" Mordred threatened, grabbing Albert by his collar.

"Take a look into the battlefield behind you and all will be made clear. It is not far." Albert stated. Mordred continued to glare at her master for a time before letting go to step through the bushes to take a look where her master had directed.

It was a war between the Solution to Nothingness magi and the magicians of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight. Spells and incantations seemed to be flying in every possible direction. Bodies of those injured or otherwise littered the ground as men and women of both sides fought to crush their enemy. Mordred stood, watching for a time, before Albert eventually walked up behind her.

"Those men and women without our robes are the enemy; they are aware that the boy named Kamijou Touma is their ally; if they saw you fighting against the King of Knights while she stood at the boy's side…"

"I invariably would have been attacked from all sides and killed." Mordred finished as her hand formed into a tight fist and gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Indeed. We can strike down the King of Knights another time, but you won't get another chance if you perish." Albert stated. "If you understand, let us go. We have a rendezvous point already set-up to the south. The Sage of the Wildwood and Yukiko will be joining us soon." Mordred slowly turned and followed her Master. After a few short minutes, Mordred abruptly stopped. Albert turned to see Mordred suddenly let out a loud scream and slash at a tree, cleaving it in half. The sound of the tree falling over rippled through the forest.

"…I'm sorry." Mordred began. "I needed to let some of my frustration out before it completely consumed me. I am not as effective if I cannot calm myself by some degree."

"…Understood; your reasoning is sound." Albert replied. "Please avoid doing that however, not only would it alert any possible reinforcements to our location, but it will make the Sage quite cross with you; his cooperation will be key as we revise our plans moving forward."

"Of course." Mordred replied. The two then proceeded south, away from the raging warzone that used to be the Solution to Nothingness' headquarters.

 **-Just Outside the Mansion-**

"Who the hell… is this girl!?" One of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight magicians shouted. Several of his comrades have fallen; their attacks literally being frozen in place and those trying to physically assault their target were smacked out of the air by giant claws made of ice that would suddenly appear from the girl's back.

It should have been easy, they thought. She was just a little Japanese girl, no more than eight years old.

Yet she seemed to have the magic power beyond what seemed conceivable for even a leader of a magic organization.

She was Yukimura Yukiko, and with the mana output she was letting loose, the only term the magicians attributed to her was the title of, "Monster."

She did not like this title. She hated this title.

In fact, everyone who called her by this title could no longer be called alive as they resided in frozen tombs of ice.

It was a title she had been granted in the past as well.

She did not like it. She made this fact very apparent in violent assaults of sudden freezing wind and animate sculptures of ice that violently assaulted everyone aside from the little Japanese girl.

But their deaths did not ease the little girl's mind in the slightest.

In fact, if those magicians could look beyond the frozen constructs that surrounded her, they would be able to see her crying.

The magi could not hear her innocent sounding sobs through the cries of their own comrades being brutalized by what seemed like a personification of winter itself.

Eventually, the magicians of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight retreated from the area, unable to even slow down the girl's advance, much less defeat her.

But this did not slow the tears falling from the girls face. They only stopped when she felt a calm hand gently rub her head from behind. The girl turned to see her Servant, Semiramis, who was called forth as a Caster Class servant, gently caressing her head. Yukiko immediately shot up and hugged the woman's side, sobbing into her dress.

"T-they were being mean to me, Onee-san…" Yukiko cried out.

"I know… they're gone now. You made them stop, my dear." Semiramis spoke softly as she continued to comfort her tiny master.

"D-did… I do… good?" Yukiko asked, the flow of tears gradually coming to a halt.

"You did very good; impressive even." Caster smiled.

"…I'm glad." Yukiko stated. "Thank you, Onee-san…"

Caster only smiled as she continued to rub the little girl's head affectionately.

Yukiko was quite a surprisingly compatible master for her, Semiramis reasoned.

In most cases, Semiramis would take control of whoever summoned her, either through her poisons or her magic depending on the situation. There were few who could escape such a fate.

One case involved a mysterious man who summoned her; he offering her a proposition she found so interesting she had to see it through until the end and decided to fight alongside his master rather than manipulate him.

In this case, it was actually due to Yukiko's own nature. She was simple; all she wanted was affection. As long as Semiramis provided that affection, Yukiko was like putty in her hands. Yukiko herself actually didn't want to participate in Sage's and Albert's plot; it was Semiramis who persuaded her to join.

This act of manipulation could be seen as an act of mercy in comparison to her usual methods however. She did feel some sympathy for the girl, as her own existence is not too unlike her own; abandoned by the ones who brought her into this world.

So she refrained from her usual methods and simply gave her master exactly what she wanted; love. One could question whether or not it was genuine, but Yukiko didn't care. If Semiramis provided Yukiko with love, Yukiko would return the favor by listening to her "Onee-san," and do what she wanted. It was an existence that the Caster Semiramis could accept.

"Now, we have to go, Yukiko-chan." Caster used the honorific like a master as she spoke. "We have to meet up with the others… Sage and Rider are supposed to be collecting our allies from the battle."

"Ok… I remember where to go." Yukiko pulled back but grabbed ahold of Caster's hand. "Let's go! An adventure should be fun, right?" Yukiko smiled as she walked happily pulling on Caster's hand as the two moved forward.

The two didn't get far before Caster noticed an attack. Yukiko frowned and crated a large wall of ice to block whatever assault came their way so they could continue their little adventure undisturbed.

The wall of ice completely failed as three solid green beams shot through the ice wall like it wasn't even there. None of the attacks hit the duo, but Yukiko frozen in place with fear.

The sanctuary created by her magic had been pierced.

"I saw those guys running away from a little girl… and this is the best she could do huh?" Mugino stated as she approached. "…Though looking from those frozen corpses, maybe it's more of a mismatch situation? I've never really fought anyone who uses ice before… I suppose my Meltdowner is a natural counter."

Two giant claws of ice formed behind Yukiko and shot out towards Mugino. Green orbs formed around the Meltdowner and fired off into four more beams, blasting right through the claws of ice with ease. Yukiko's eyes widened; she had never met someone who could handle her magic so easily before.

"O-O-Onee-s-san…!" Yukiko shook; her eyes wide with fear. If anyone was ever mean to her, she could make them vanish with her power, but not this time.

Her power was useless.

She was vulnerable.

Just like she was when her parents abandoned her in Europe a year ago.

A green beam flew for the young girl, and Yukiko was paralyzed with fear, unsure of what to do. Her eyes widened as the beam approached, but a different kind of blast intercepted the beam.

A magic circle hovered in the air in front of Caster's free hand.

"Don't worry, Yukiko-chan. Let your Onee-san deal with this small little road-bump, ok?" Caster stated. Yukiko seemed to look up at her Servant in awe as she let go of Yukiko's hand and stood in-between her and the Meltdowner.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Mugino asked in a cold tone, one hand on her hip.

"Caster-Class Servant… you do not dress like the magi who oppose this Cabal… how curious." Caster commented.

"Servant huh…? Like that blond brat said…" Mugino replied. "Guess the operation to stop whatever was a failure, huh? Guess it explains why her subordinates are having so much trouble."

"In a sense. Now who are you, little girl?" Caster spoke with a confident smile.

"Not really much point in introducing myself to someone who isn't going to live long enough to care, right?" Mugino replied.

"I suppose not… guess that means I just wasted my time then, wouldn't you agree?" Caster held out her hand and another magic circle appeared, discharging a powerful magic attack. Mugino replied with one of her own Meltdowner beams, matching the attack as they canceled each other out.

This contest continued for quite some time, one not quite able to fully break through the opponent. Semiramis' spells weren't powerful enough to force through Mugino's Meltdowner due to each beam's raw power, while Caster's own magic was still strong enough to hold off Mugino's assault.

They both had tricks up their sleeve, however. Caster had not yet used a single Noble Phantasm, and Mugino had a special object that reacted very uniquely with her ability. It was becoming apparent that they were ill-matched for a direct confrontation, so whoever used their secret would quickly gain the advantage.

And it was Mugino who decided to reveal her trump card as she pulled out a silicon card and tossed it into the air, aiming to use her Meltdowner on the card. The silicon card was special; as instead of being erased by a Meltdowner beam, it would actually absorb and refract the attack, turning a single beam into at least thirty with ease, and do so without reducing the Meltdowner beam's effectiveness. This technique was called **Silicon Burn** , and it would easily blanket the two opposing her in the blasts that Caster had trouble countering.

However, the technique's usage was stopped with a single beam of light smashed into the silicon card, completely destroying it.

"I hope this isn't an unwelcome intrusion, ladies." Rider called out in the air above Caster and Yukiko. It at first appeared he was standing on thin air, but it was quickly discovered that he was standing on a thin piece of wood that hovered in the sky.

"…Rider, you're supposed to be collecting our allies." Caster commented.

"It is already complete; the only ones remaining are you and your master, Caster." Rider crossed his arms, holding a staff in one hand. "Well… there were the poor fools who found themselves captured prior to my involvement; they have long-since been lost, I'm afraid. But now we must make our way to our gathering place, like we agreed."

"And you expect me to let you pieces of shit get away…!?" Mugino asked.

"Of course not… that's why I have decided that your extermination shall be my next act!" Rider grinned wide as four more pieces of wood suddenly formed randomly around him. Each one shined brightly before unleashing beams of light simultaneously to attack. Mugino fired four Meltdowner beams to match them, with apparent success. But the battle had become a two against one.

"I suppose in this instance, it is to my benefit to support you, Rider." Semiramis spoke in a somewhat disappointed tone as she prepared another set of spells. Rider smirked and the wood that he stood on vanished, allowing Rider to land next to Caster.

"Damn it…!" Mugino cursed as she took a step back. She moved to create more orbs to attack, but to match both of her opponents would be difficult.

So much so in fact that attempting such could easily result in her death.

"Mugino!" Hamazura suddenly shot up from bushes with a set of explosives and tossed them at the two Servants.

"Feh, how pointless. Conventional weaponry-" Rider didn't have a chance to comment as the explosives suddenly went off, but did not explode into bursts of fire and shrapnel.

But instead sets of blinding light, forcing the Servants to cover their eyes.

When the lights died down, the two were gone. The sounds of combat were still quite prevalent all around the mansion, but their opponents vanished without a trace.

"A withdrawal? How amusing… shall I track their life-forces?" Caster asked.

"They very well may realize that you can follow them with magecraft and may attempt to lead us into a trap… besides; we need to withdraw before the remaining magi unsupportive of our cause fall before the Dawn-Colored Sunlight." Rider answered.

"…I suppose you have a fair point. A Servant can take on fifty standard magi with ease… but the numbers of this opposing Cabal are far too great to take lightly…" Caster sighed.

"…Onee-san." Yukiko called out. "Onee-san was so amazing!"

"Oh? And how about me? I saved you and your Servant, after all!" Rider asked. Yukiko only stared at Rider for a time before withdrawing behind Semiramis. Rider clicked his teeth and let out an annoyed sigh as he rubbed his head. "Picky child…"

"She doesn't like you, oh great Ramesses the Second." Caster mocked.

"Quiet woman… I have little patience for your shenanigans right now…" Rider replied.

"Onee-san, let's go!" Yukiko tugged on Semiramis' hand, as the two departed for the rendezvous point once more. Rider watched the two for a moment, before fading into spirit form.

"But still… that girl was more than a little impressive to match my Noble Phantasm… if this is just the opening act, then this Grail War will be interesting indeed…" Rider spoke to himself as he departed, making way back to his master.

 **-Inside the Mansion-**

The fire was growing in intensity now, and it was starting to spill into the ballroom. Victoria was still held at bay by Leivinia Birdway, unable to participate to help her leader. Lazarus however, was holding off four assailants at once.

Emiya Shirou, who constantly attempted to strike him at range.

Kinuhata Saiai, who would ceaselessly attempt to strike him up close and personal.

Kamijou Touma, who would endlessly negate his offensive attacks.

And the Saber-Class Servant, Artoria Pendragon, who proved immune to his offensive spells, yet mysteriously the telekinetic power Lazarus possessed was able to affect her.

The fire was spreading rapidly; if there was still a roof, it would likely have been burning.

"Lazarus!" Victoria called out. "We're running out of time! If this lasts much longer, we will end up captured or worse!"

Lazarus narrowed his eyes as he listened to Victoria's words. He didn't want to admit it, but she was right. If he was fighting any one of them alone, he could win, but all four at once it was only a matter of time before he would be defeated. And moreover, Victoria was in trouble.

She could be killed.

Lazarus couldn't allow that to happen. He raised one hand into the air, and a black orb emitting a dark purple light appeared. It suddenly doubled in size. And then it did it again. And again. And again. It was quickly gaining mass that made it look like the cabal boss looked to completely obliterate everyone, including himself.

But that changed when the orb suddenly divided into hundreds of individual orbs and all shot out in all directions. The orbs exploded violently, and everyone involved had to rapidly move to evade the assault.

Lazarus used this opening to grab a hold of Victoria. The two quickly took to the air during the confusion, and shot off in a random direction. Due to the darkness of the night, tracking them was impossible.

It didn't take much longer before the remaining forces of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight were victorious. The remaining magi where either forced to retreat or were captured, as Leivinia's orders were very specific to take in as many of the Solution to Nothingness members as possible.

It was indeed a victory, although it was such in unexpected ways. But the conflict was far from over.

As all seven masters managed to evade capture.

* * *

 **And so the first night has ended, and everyone has gotten a little taste of our cast of characters so far... what does everyone think?**

 **You'll see some more as time goes on... after all; only four Servants have been summoned so far.**

 **Review at your leisure my friends. Have a good day and thanks for reading.**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	7. Aftermath

**The next chapter has arrived! A bit of a slow one here... but it sets some stuff up for later.**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"…Emiya-kun." Rin called; her tone not pleasant.

"Yeah; that's my name…" Shirou replied with a sigh.

"Would you like to explain to me…" She started, her tone getting darker as she spoke. "…Why the leader of the largest magic cabal in the United Kingdom is in our apartment!? Eating cookies no less!?"

"It's because they're good." Leivinia spoke with her mouth full after taking a bite.

"That's not the main issue here!" Rin shouted.

The events after the clash were… lively. The magi of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight stormed the mansion as it burned, eager to track down and subdue anyone who might have remained inside. Touma's group that was already inside hastily exited after the leader of the Solution to Nothingness, Lazarus Wolfchild as he was known, left with his second in command.

It was decided that Mark would oversee investigation into the incident, including looking into any research materials that could be gained before the building was completely destroyed, and Mark advised Leivinia to lie low; the possibility of a counter-attack was not completely ruled out as there were magicians who managed to escape. Though the true location of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight's base of operations was not well known, the possibility of retaliation existed.

This meant that Leivinia Birdway needed a hideout… and Shirou spoke up saying he could house her. Touma tried to stop him but Leivinia already heard the offer and her eyes lit up with excitement.

"…I didn't know she was their boss until afterward. How was I supposed to know that the leader of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight was a twelve-year old girl?" Shirou replied.

"And this is why you need to keep up on current events you idiot!" Rin shouted.

"Calm down 'Thighs,' I'm not at odds with the Mage's Association right now, so it's not like housing me is going to get you kicked out or anything." Leivinia replied.

"It's not that, it's about being targeted by other- did… did you just call me, "thighs?" Did you really just do that?" Rin deadpanned.

"Yeah, so? Your most discernable feature was your thighs. Only other things I could call you were, "gem-girl," or, "black hair," and those didn't really have any appeal." Leivinia answered.

"Seriously; you have super rocking thighs." Kinuhata suddenly chimed in. "The thigh-highs combined with the mini-skirt help out a lot with the appeal too; really draws in the eyes. If I wasn't into the full-exposure look, I'd super give your sense of style a try."

"…Are they really that good? I put in a lot of effort into- Stop trying to distract me!" Rin suddenly shouted. She let out a heavy sigh and took a deep breath to compose herself. "Alright… so… why are you here again?"

"Possibility of retaliation for the attack on another magic cabal makes my own residence unsafe because of that." Leivinia stated.

"And that's the problem I have with you staying here! What's to stop them from chasing you all the day down to our front door!?" Rin shouted.

"Are you kidding me? This place is so deep in Clock-Tower territory; if they even attempted to attack anyone here, the forces in charge would unmake them so hard they'd pray for a sealing designation instead." Leivinia replied.

"…I have no idea about the politics going on here, but it sounds unpleasant." Hamazura chimed in.

"She's the one hassling me; I'm just trying to get as clear of a picture as I can from your girlfriend." Leivinia huffed. Takitsubo cocked her head to the side.

"But I already gave you all the details I can muster. The esper I sensed was very active during the conflict, shot up into the sky and left. The specific movements I can't call for at my current level, only their general location." She stated.

"I know… that's the issue here, because if you're right, then things are even more screwed up." Leivinia reclined in her seat, grabbing another cookie to munch on. "Only one who I can think of fitting the description you gave me is Lazarus himself; and he was throwing out spells like a damn machine-gun; there's no way he's an Esper."

"If she sensed it, it's a fact. It's how her ability super works." Kinuhata added.

"Like I said; that's the issue here! If he IS an Esper he found a way around the rebound effect normally applied when an Esper uses magic!" Leivinia shouted.

"I can confirm that his spells had little effect on me due to my class as a Saber as normal, but some kind of mysterious force would randomly fling me around, and I found it difficult to resist." Artoria spoke up. Leivinia let out an annoyed growl.

"…That kind of seals the deal, doesn't it?" Leivinia huffed out. "So if he is a hybrid that has somehow figured out how to bypass the natural laws, I'll have to track him down regardless of the results of the raid tonight. Information like that is critical to my goals… and I can't let this information slip into the Mages Association's hands either; they'll just lock his ass up for study or kill him to keep the secret from getting out… this is getting irritating."

"Yeah… I'm just going to continue to sit here and nod…" Hamazura sighed. "The world of magic is confusing as all possible hell."

"Alright so… what happens now?" Touma asked. Othinus was sitting on his shoulder while Index sat to his left on a separate chair next to the couch. Othinus had an unintentional front-row seat to all of the events, and commented that it took every ounce of her strength to remain in Touma's pocket. Index was more heavily involved with the direct magical combat with her Spell Intercept.

"We wait until Mark gets back with information. Finding it is easy but decoding and clarification could take a while; should be sometime in the morning unless something really nasty happens. More than likely they'll find any notes left behind and relocate back home to research it." Leivinia shifted in her seat a bit.

"So we're staying here for the night…" Hamazura commented.

"I never consented to this…" Rin stated.

"All I can say is that I tried to stop Emiya-san." Touma sighed.

"I get it; I'm sorry, ok? I had no idea about the girl being a cabal boss or Kamijou-san's group being so huge…" Shirou crossed his arms.

"…You would have still offered it to them if you knew though, right?" Rin asked. Shirou silently looked away. Rin sighed and pinched Shirou's cheek. "The things I agreed to deal with when I consented to love you… you wear me out sometimes, you know?"

"Don't pinch me." Shirou replied in a grumpy tone. Rin smiled and let go. "Alright; house rules. Don't break anything and when Emiya-kun and I are in our room alone, we are to not be disturbed, everyone understand?"

"Ooooh, private sanctuary eh? What do you have to super keep so secret, hmm?" Kinuhata asked.

"That's for us to know and you to never find out, brat." Rin replied, a blush noticeable on her face.

"That's no fun… Hamazura, be sure to stay quiet ok? No lewd thoughts of Takitsubo since we're probably all going to be sleeping in the same room. Of course, that also means no moves on her either."

"As if I'd do anything with you in ear-shot." Hamazura huffed out.

"Kinuhata; what I do with Hamazura and where is our business." Takitsubo stated in her usual monotone. "Because of the limited space, we're probably going to have to share a spot anyway, so stay away from us."

"… Wait, what? Y-you sure?" Hamazura asked

"I'll do whatever you want if it helps you be more comfortable, Hamazura." Takitsubo nodded. Hamazura flushed red as a small trickle of blood flowed from his nose.

"I-I mean if you're cool with it, I don't mind!" He said, trying to wipe the blood from his nose.

"…We used to be like that." Rin blinked.

"Yeah… though if anything you've become more of a deviant." Shirou added.

"What can I say? Teasing is too much fun." Rin smiled.

"…Speaking of teasing…" An evil look appeared in Kinuhata's eyes as she slowly turned to face Touma.

"Oh no you don't, you stay away from me!" Touma slid away farther from Kinuhata.

"Kinuhata, I had to put up with you messing with him all day; give it a rest before I kick you upside the head..." Mugino warned.

"Ugh… fine… you're super safe for now…" Kinuhata sighed and sat back down. Touma let out a sigh.

"You certainly have unique friends, Touma." Artoria stated.

"Unique is definitely… a word." Touma replied. "You get used to them; sure they're definitely weird, but they're all good people from what I can tell."

"This human gets around; meeting all kinds of people. Even now this room is a giant culture pot because of those who find themselves surrounding him." Othinus added.

"I must admit… I am curious as to who else you know; you seem to have quite a few connections and I wonder what they're all like; I'm sure you have even more interesting friends than these." Artoria stated. Touma looked at her for a moment before looking at Othinus on his shoulder.

"…We can never let her meet Aogami." He told the little Magic God.

"Agreed." Othinus nodded.

Artoria could only wonder who this Aogami person was, and why just a single look at her lead Touma to the conclusion that they should never have an encounter.

 **-The Next Morning-**

"This semester is really good… no class before nine PM…" Rin yawned.

"Sorry if breakfast is taking so long; we have a lot more mouths to feed today than usual." Shirou commented.

"Heh… sorry for the inconvenience." Touma rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't worry about it… you put us up at your place for almost two weeks so consider it even." Shirou replied. The group gathered around to serve themselves as Shirou cooked. It took a lot longer than normal but Shirou seemed more than happy to accommodate his guest's requests.

A cellphone went off. Leivinia was the one who pulled out her phone and took the call.

"Leivinia Birdway. Talk to me." She spoke in-between bites of food. She perked up after a moment. "It's all set? Alright give me a second." She put down her utensils and pulled out a single card from her pocket.

A Tarot card; the Ace of Swords from the minor arcana. She threw the card towards an open space in the room and in an instant; Mark Space suddenly appeared with the card at his feet.

"And who's this now…?" Rin asked in a tired tone.

"Mark Space, he's right behind me in the leadership department." Leivinia cheerfully answered. "Alright; report. Full details; information gathered from the scene, testimony from the captured, I'll take it all." Mark took a moment to clear his throat before speaking.

"While our actions appear to have failed to stop the summoning of Servants, nor have we been able to capture any of the masters… it would appear our efforts to stop them from abusing the Grail were not in vain."

 **-Same Time, Burned Ruins of the Mansion-**

The entire thing was wrecked. Though some portions remained, the vast majority of the facility had burned to the ground. Objects were scattered all around the floor across the entire property, evident of looting; it was easy to tell that the invading magicians scoured the place after their victory for whatever they could find, and left the building to rot.

Numerous secrets could have been stolen.

Members of their cabal had been captured.

Lazarus was not a happy man.

He roamed what used to be halls in search of anything that could have been left, but it all appeared fruitless. His own quarters no longer existed, and he could only hope none of the secrets located within survived.

Either way, it was a failure among failures; all because they incited the wrath of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight.

An action he had ordered was to collect a piece of the legendary round table they had in their possession.

Lazarus was not a happy man.

Disappointed, Lazarus managed to find a chair somewhat intact, and promptly sat down, resting the chin of his helmet in the palms of his hands. After a moment, the chair abruptly broke, but Lazarus did not fall; although his eyes did flair from disappointment to anger as he felt the furniture break away. Lazarus brought up his legs to cross them, effectively sitting in the air as his elbows rested on knees to allow his hands to hold up his head.

"Lazarus… did you find anything?" A voice called out. It belonged to Victoria who quickly found the cabal boss in his sad state. "…Guess not."

Lazarus closed his eyes and let out a sound similar to a sigh.

"I understand your disappointment, but we all agreed that we understood the risks when it was decided to steal from them." Victoria stated. "Seriously… we can rebuild; there's no reason to sulk."

Lazarus almost immediately threw up his hands, palms up. He turned toward Victoria with anger in his eyes as he pointed all around the area; the spots he pointed too looked like they could have been rooms at some point. Lazarus continued this trend for a short time before spinning around with his arms horizontal and palms up, slowly leaning back until it appeared he was laying down on nothing, before he suddenly shot back up into his former sitting position.

"…I know you're upset, but that's no reason to curse out your sister, asshole." Victoria spoke. Lazarus' eyes drooped as he suddenly stopped floating, hitting the ground with a loud thud, sitting on the charred ash that used to be his home. Victoria sighed and put one hand on the cabal boss' shoulder, stroking it lightly.

A voice called out to the duo, loud and booming.

"Ahoy there my friends! I see you have returned to this place as well!" A large man in a red robe walked forward, emerging from the forest. His hood was down, revealing a clean-shaven man with long dark red hair that reached down to his shoulders.

"Dand Kokinos. Now is not the best time for your over-the-top attitude." Victoria stated.

"Nonsense! When the darkness of the world has begun to envelop you, it is in fact the best time to be cheerful! Those who wallow in pity and sorrow will have the greatest difficulty to escape from its clutches!" Dand bellowed. Lazarus turned briefly to glare at the large man, only for his eyes to soften as he saw an unusual sight.

There was a second man walking just a fair bit behind Dand. He wore a helmet appearing very similar to that of a Spartan Soldier. He also had a large red cape draped over his shoulders, and walked carrying a long spear and a large shield. His chest was bare, but covered in tattoos, and he had a long sash that went down to his feet, and metal boots. Dand turned and patted the man on his shoulder, and the man nodded, his spear and shield suddenly fading from view.

Lazarus pushed himself to his feet and pointed at the man. Dand grinned wide.

"Fate has smiled upon us!" Dand announced. "Lazarus, Victoria, this man is my Lancer-Class Servant, the great Leonidas of Sparta!"

"Is it wise to reveal my name so easily…?" Lancer asked gruffly.

"Of course! Lazarus is my superior! The lord of the castle so to speak… though… there's not much of a castle left…" Dand trailed off. As if to emphasize his point, a burned wall collapsed.

"…I can see that." Lancer stated. "I apologize if coming forth with my weapons drawn seemed imposing; I was informed that this area had been invaded and wanted to be sure I was prepared for an ambush."

Lazarus held up his hands in front of him, palms out.

"He says that it's fine; understandable in these circumstances." Victoria replied.

"…Why did he not speak?" Lancer asked, curious.

"That's the thing, my friend." Dand began. "Lazarus is unable to speak due to circumstances outside his control. As you can see, Victoria is more than capable of transcribing what he desires to say, however!"

"…To rise to a leadership position with such a handicap. I must say I am impressed you could direct so many followers without being able to utter a word. You must be an impeccable leader." Lancer commented. Lazarus closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head, appearing embarrassed by the compliment.

"Dand, where are the others? I assumed that you all had managed to gather everyone and summoned your Servants as per the plan?" Victoria asked.

"Well… I was able to find a few… but well…" Dand whistled and several magi walked out from the forest.

However, there were less than twenty of them; not even a fraction of the numbers that were inside the building the night before, and not a single one of them were part of the seven that were selected as masters, outside of Dand himself.

"How many of us were captured… my god…" Victoria commented.

"Some of us were captured, that's true…" Dand rubbed the back of his neck with a frown. "But… I'm afraid we have a bigger problem…"

 **-Same Time, Shirou's Apartment-**

"The cabal has split?" Leivinia asked. Mark quickly nodded.

"The informants we planted are still gathering the full details for us, but as of now, the Solution to Nothingness has split into several factions, with only a very small number still reporting to their leader, Lazarus Wolfchild." He stated. "Several have started to follow some of the magi selected as masters; most following the man by the name of Albert Radcliff, the son of the former leader. Details about their whereabouts are sketchy, as shortly after first revealing this information, our operatives in this group were unfortunately found out."

"Details about the other factions?" Leivinia asked.

"The small number that follows Lazarus does have a master in their ranks. One, addressed as Minho, who I have specified in a separate report, is on his own, currently having no followers but this could change. Two have allied together, one of them being a member of the cabal and the other being a mercenary they hired, and they have a decent coalition of magi. The remaining two masters are assumed to be alongside Albert Radcliff." Mark read through his report out-loud. "No skirmishes confirmed, but no actions have been made by these factions to ally with each other, despite plenty of time and opportunity to do so…"

"So… we have to wait and see… but otherwise it appears to be resolved?" Leivinia asked.

"Considering the record of previous wars, the likelihood of a unified attempt to grant a wish is trivial at this time." Mark stated.

"So… we win?" Hamazura scratched his head. Leivinia let out a triumphant laugh.

"Of course! We still need to observe the situation at large, but more than likely this will devolve into a typical Holy Grail War." Leivinia replied.

"I don't see how that's better…" Touma commented.

"Holy Grail Wars are very complicated situations." Rin stated. "Tactics and ideals are usually slammed into each other… there may have only been six so far, including the illegal one, but although winners have been declared, so far no-one has been able to obtain a wish from the Grail."

"So… these guys will probably fuck around and kill each other off. Wonderful." Mugino summed up.

"Not… sure how I feel about that…" Touma scratched his head.

"Either way, the main crisis looks like it has been avoided…" Leivinia took a set of papers from Mark and thumbed through it quickly. Mark interrupted this by putting another set in front of Leivinia. "What's this?"

"The separate report on Minho; the one who started this whole mess." Mark announced.

 **-Unknown Location-**

"… This better have worked, setting up the ritual someplace else on my own was a pain in the ass…" Minho stated as smoke filled his room. He had just finished a summoning ritual of his own. The smoke in front of him cleared as his workshop became visible.

A girl stood before him, appearing in her mid-teens. She had purple hair tied into two long pig-tails and wore an elaborate dress that could only be described as a "Snow-White Gothic Lolita." Her skin was radiant perfection, and she wore a smile as she looked upon the man in front of him.

"I can assure you that your summoning was a success. I am your Archer-Class Servant, Euryale; I am pleased to meet you, master." The girl spoke cheerfully.

"…Euryale? Of the Gorgon sisters?" Minho blinked.

"Yes, the one and only." Archer responded cheerfully.

"…As an Archer?" Minho asked, crossing his arms. Archer responded by forming a small golden bow covered in vines.

"Yes… an archer. Were you looking for one of the other Gorgon sisters? Perhaps Medusa?" Archer asked, never losing her radiant smile.

"Nah, I was just confused by the classification, but if you say you're an Archer, I'll buy it." Minho leaned against a table. "Truth be told, I wasn't sure who I was going to get… between you and your big sister though, I think I'd prefer you anyway."

"Oh? Has my beauty enslaved you already?" Archer giggled lightly.

"No; more like because you're known in history as quite the little trouble maker; making impossible requests for men who wanted to marry you only to send them to their doom. That's the kind of shenanigans I can get behind." Minho replied.

"You don't say…? How interesting…" Archer smiled warmly. "Well… what is your desire, my master?"

"…One in my position would say the Grail, but personally I really don't care too much about it." Minho replied. Archer seemed confused and cocked her head to the side. "You see… I have a much more fun game to play…"

"Oh…? Enlighten me, master." Archer cooed.

"It's simply the game of life." Minho answered. "Fortune and misfortune are on constant imbalance... each person in this world are on this scale and are thrown around back and forth depending on how it shifts… I like to take control of the scale and shift it in my direction… to see how people react… the sight of their faces lighting up when they scored it big, and how devastated they look when they lose it all… it's all quite enticing, wouldn't' you agree?"

"…You see this as acceptable?" Archer asked.

"Of course; this shit-hole of the world is what we have; it was our gift from the dead gods who no longer breathe… if it's what we were given we are free to do with it as we please, right?" Minho replied.

After a moment, the Archer known as Euryale began to smile.

"So… want to play this wonderful game of life with me?" Minho asked. Euryale's eyes lit up with excitement as she began to speak.

"I would love to… my master…"


	8. The Next Adventure

**Things sound feel a little more heated here... I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

It wasn't long before Leivinia decided to leave Shirou and Rin's apartment with Mark. She had determined that it was time to return to her cabal and study the provided notes as well as to interrogate their captives. She announced that more than likely their operations are finished, and pushed the group to enjoy the wonders London, as vising such a place is rare.

But she had one simple request that she made before she left.

"Kamijou," Leivinia called out. "The departure of your jet is set for tomorrow afternoon... but before you head back, I want you to come and find me."

"Eh…? Why?" Touma asked in a suspicious tone.

"I just have an important question to ask is all, that's it. And I can't do it here with all these ears ready to intercept my intentions." Leivinia replied.

"…Is it another situation you need help with, Birdway?" Touma sighed.

"No… but it is quite important and possibly life changing… you'll just have to come and find me to find out, won't you?" Leivinia grinned. Touma looked to Mark for some kind of hint but the second in command only shrugged.

"…Fine. But it better be important." Touma conceded. Leivinia simply nodded and left, not offering a single word of explanation.

"I don't know what she's asking, but you better say no, Touma." Index warned.

"Depends on what she asks… won't know until then…" Touma sighed. "So… what do we do?"

"Tohsaka-san and I have our classes; we're not out for our winter break after tomorrow's sessions sadly, otherwise we wouldn't mind showing you around London." Shirou stated.

"Then allow me." Artoria spoke up. "I have made myself quite familiar with the inner workings of London; I can take you wherever you want to go."

"Let's hit up a mall; the super best one in the city!" Kinuhata suddenly announced. The other ITEM girls nodded in agreement, which caused the resident blonde level 0 to sigh.

"That's their vote… how about you boss?" Hamazura asked.

"I don't mind… I didn't have any intention of exploring London, so I have no real preferences. If anything it'll be a good place to start." Touma shrugged his shoulders.

"I want to swing by the Anglican Church before we head back…" Index spoke up. "It's been awhile since I was there, so…"

"Then let us depart on another adventure." Artoria proudly stated. Without any further complaint, Shirou and Rin went off to class while the rest of the group left for an adventurous day in London.

In more ways than one.

 **-10 minutes Later-**

"I know it works and what it does… but I don't know HOW it works or WHY it does. Let me experiment a little bit; it won't hurt." Mugino stated. Somehow their discussion turned to Touma's Imagine Breaker and he was clearly uncomfortable being the center of attention.

"One stray beam and I won't have a face anymore, so no!" Touma replied.

"Come on, let us help you out! We're smart enough to give you some super extra information you might not have otherwise!" Kinuhata spoke up. "Birdway gave us a lot of information she had on it we want to test out, and you owe us for super lying about your Imagine Breaker being an esper ability!"

"I didn't lie; I just accepted what you were thinking it was because it was easier!" Touma protested. "How was I supposed to explain its origin anyway?"

"It doesn't matter, now come on, hand it over." Mugino gripped his right hand tightly. "…I can't form my Meltdowner…?"

"W-while it's touching an Esper, they can't use their ability…!" Touma winced before he got his hand back. "Seriously… iron grip."

"Her left arm is super prosthetic. It's about five times stronger than an ordinary human's." Kinuhata stated.

"R-really? Has Academy City's technology really progressed that far?" Touma asked.

"If these kinds of things happen to you often, I'd consider replacing some of your limbs. You never know when a piece of shit is going to trump you; I doubt you'd like it if someone held a gun to your head." Mugino stated.

"…W-well… Birdway did… but it was a flintlock pistol so it was easier to deal with…" Touma rubbed his neck.

"A flintlock pistol? Like, a super working one? In this day and age?" Kinuhata questioned. "Holy shit, she has some real style points going for her. Hey Mugino, how super pissed would Academy City be if I decided to switch sides on this whole clash between magic and science deal? Birdway sounds super amazing!"

"My guess would be very, so I wouldn't recommend it." Mugino replied. "Now… how about you stop trying to change the fucking subject, Kamijou." She moved to pinch Touma's ear, much to his discomfort.

"Hoho… she dropped the honorific, she must really super like you." Kinuhata joked.

"This kind of treatment isn't even remotely similar to the term, "Liking!" Help me out here!" Touma cried out. The three continued to argue as the other three walked up in front of the group. Index walked in-between the sets of people, occasionally chiming in on the conversation between the two girls and the unlucky Kamijou.

"…Does this kind of misfortune really befall him that much?" Takitsubo asked.

"You have no idea. One time we were out for drinks, just chilling after some stuff went down, and he got his hand stuck in the ice dispenser. Turns out the thing was busted and someone stole the sign. The owner of the shop was not happy…" Hamazura replied.

"Sounds like you know him very well, Shiage." Artoria commented.

"Y-you can just call me Hamazura. Feels weird having someone use my given name…" Hamazura replied. "Yeah, we're friends, I help him out with stuff sometimes and he does the same for me… though our first meeting wasn't the best…"

"And how did you meet?" Artoria asked.

"…With him punching me across the face." Hamazura sighed. "That's a long embarrassing story I'd rather have die, so please don't ask. But I really didn't know who he was until a month or so after that… had to work together on some stuff and I feel like we've been tight since."

"I see… I'm glad that Touma has met some reliable people." Artoria smiled.

"Well, how about you? How did the legendary female King Arthur meet the essence of misfortune? I only recall seeing you when I drove you guys into a series of tentacle monsters a while back." Hamazura asked.

"…Tentacle monsters?" Takitsubo cocked her head to the side.

"I-it's a long story…" Artoria trialed off, not sure how to begin. As they walked the crowd of people gradually thickened as they entered the more popular shopping areas.

"Alright… new plan since he won't fork it over willingly…" Mugino stated in an annoyed tone. "Kinuhata; submission hold."

"Got it." Kinuhata popped her fingers.

"H-hey wait! Let's talk about thiiiis!" Touma shouted as Kinuhata bent Touma over backwards. The position must have been awkward because after a little bit of fight from Touma Kinuhata lost her footing and the two fell backwards, crashing into a bystander.

"S-see what you did!?" Touma shouted.

"It wouldn't have happened if you would have just super gone along with it!" Kinuhata shot back.

"N-no more yelling please… oww…" The voice of a woman called out from below the two.

"S-sorry!" Touma apologized and he and Kinuhata got up. The woman had long greyish-black straight hair that reached just past her shoulder blades, with two braids from the back of her head falling to either side of her shoulders. Her eyes were gray, had somewhat tan skin, and seemed to carry a melancholic expression. She had a lean build, and was wearing a white collared shirt under a black thin jacket, along with a black sash on her shoulders and a long dress skirt, with knee-high socks and black heels. She stood up slowly to maintain her balance as she still seemed a little flustered due to the sudden impact.

"Its fine… happens I guess…" The woman answered. Touma looked around and found a black leather purse, picking it up and offering it to her.

"Hey… did you lose this? Sorry again…" Touma rubbed the back of his head. The woman looked at the boy and paused, staring at him for a short time. Touma felt weirded out by the look, but the woman seemed to notice and moved to take the purse.

"Y-yeah its mine… thanks…" The woman sighed. "Be more careful about rough-housing on the sidewalk!"

"R-right! Sorry again! Take care!" Touma bid the woman farewell as the two parted, Touma running to rejoin the group that had gone on ahead without him. The woman adjusted her skirt and resumed her walk down the street.

"…Be sure you remember that lesson too. It's important." The woman spoke to no one in particular. "That's right… we still need to get the stuff together for seasoned beef… it's a special recipe from back home." The woman stated as she walked. After a time the woman smiled before speaking again.

"A reaction like that… does that sound good, Berserker?"

 **-17 Minutes Later-**

"And here it is. The best shopping mall in London I have been able to find." Artoria proudly presented.

"Don't expect any high-class gadgets like in Academy City." Touma warned.

"Eh, shopping is shopping. I wonder if I can super get a different sweater like this one…" Kinuhata commented.

"Just don't break anything." Hamazura warned.

"…Hold on please." Index suddenly called out. "Something's… not right…" She raced over to a pillar holding up the multi-floor building. She searched around it until she focused on something. The group in their state of confusion gathered around Index.

"What's wrong?" Touma asked, moving behind the small nun to check what she was looking at.

"This symbol; notice that it's glowing?" Index pointed. It was small, but was definitely glowing a dark blue, just like Index said.

"So someone messed with some lighting, what's the big deal?" Mugino asked.

"It's a cursed rune; signifying great calamity. Judging by how it's tuned, its intent is to cause a catastrophe by an explosion." Index spoke as she studied the rune.

"Wait… that thing right there is a god damn bomb!?" Hamazura shouted, only to be forcefully quieted by Mugino and Takitsubo to avoid people noticing.

"It is… and if I am correct, there appears to be several all across the building… but they're very obvious; even a rookie magician would be able to detect one." Index stated.

"…Diversionary tactic." Hamazura spoke up. "Sometimes in Skill-Out we'd leave behind obvious explosives to throw people off our trail by forcing Anti-Skill to disarm them to prevent them from going off and hurting people. Since people in this city are so hell-bent on hiding magic, they could be doing the same thing."

"…Or using them as bait for more hidden, high-powered explosives, possibly to trap whoever's chasing after them inside." Mugino added.

"I haven't been able to feel anything else out, so if it's that second option, they might not have their endgame strategy prepared." Index pulled back and nodded at Touma, who promptly touched the rune with his right hand, Imagine Breaker destroying it effectively.

"Alright, what do we do?" Hamazura asked.

"There are about ten more runes like this… they appear to all be on the ground level, possibly to cause the building to collapse by placing them on key support structures. These are simple enough that destroying the area were they are inscribed should break the curse." Index stated.

"So we split up and super tear them up, sounds like a plan to me! Check all the support beams to make sure!" Kinuhata stated. Everyone nodded and split up, Touma, Artoria, Mugino, and Kinuhata went off on their own while Index and Othinus traveled with Hamazura and Takitsubo to help them as they lacked destructive power.

They scurried around the mall, searching for anything they could find. Slowly but surely, they tracked down the runes, Index's information being accurate.

But their actions did not go unnoticed.

"Master, they're ruining our plan to throw the Dawn-Colored Sunlight off our trail." Archer stated as she stood next to Minho, as they watched the events unfold from the second level up above.

"Well, isn't that just perfect…?" Minho scratched the side of his head. "…And the spikey-haired one is the little shit who ruined the summoning last night… and now he's ruining this; what a pain."

"If he is such a thorn in our side… then allow me to pluck it." Archer smiled as she drew her bow and formed an arrow with a heart-shaped arrowhead. "This is my Noble Phantasm, **Eye of the Euryale: Goddess's Gaze.** One strike from this and his fate will be sealed; he will be doomed to love me and follow every order I give until either I die… or he dies. Quite a fitting punishment for ruining our game, wouldn't you agree, master?"

"…Yeah, but I have an even better idea, let me see the arrow." Minho, with a little work, inscribed a rune on the arrow head.

The same one that he had inscribed on the various pillars all around the mall.

"There we go… with this, you'll hit him, forcing him to love you with its power… he'll gaze up here to track down where it came from and the moment he sees you, the new object of his affections… boom! He'll be paste all over the floor!" Minho announced with a laugh.

Euryale the Archer was more than amused by this idea.

"Oh my… you are very impressive, master." Archer smiled warmly as she prepared to fire her arrow. "Let us move to the next part of the game, shall we?" With that, she fired, aiming for the unlucky Kamijou.

Perhaps it was the sound of the shooting arrow that clued him in.

Perhaps it was connected to the theory held by several people that he had been in so many battles that his body grew to subconsciously anticipate attacks coming his way.

Either way, Touma's body suddenly turned and his right hand flew straight toward the arrow, Imagine Breaker shattering it on contact. Touma looked at his hand for a moment before his gaze shot up to the second floor, looking straight at the duo.

"…Master, what was that?" Archer asked in a clearly surprised tone.

"That… that was the sound of our plan failing…" Minho blinked. Neither of the two had any idea how the boy had been able to react and cancel out Archer's Noble Phantasm.

Their next decision was based on the desire to evade capture.

Archer faded into spirit form and Minho bolted, running as fast as he could to try to blend in with the crowd.

"Hey! Get back here!" Touma shouted, quickly locating a set of stairs. He pulled out his phone and dialed Hamazura. "I don't know how far along the rune-destroying operation is, but I think I just found the guy who placed them! He's up on the second floor!"

 **-7 Minutes later-**

"Damn it all… where did you go?" Touma cursed as he ran, looking around at every opportunity. Touma quickly exited the hall he was in and turned, not finding anything of value.

As the unlucky Kamijou left, one of the potted plants began to shift.

"God damn… full-shapeshifting is painful…!" A voice cursed. Slowly but surely, the plant transformed to take on a humanoid shape. Minho popped his neck and stepped out, confirming that he had thrown off his pursuer.

"That one is quite persistent…" The voice of Archer ringed in Minho's head. "You should count yourself lucky you picked up such a spell."

"Yeah; it hurts like hell, but it comes in handy… let's go." He turned to run and stepped out into the open to traverse down the hall. He was quickly stopped when he saw a familiar girl with a bob-cut walking toward him.

"Well, what a super lucky day… long time no see; how's the ribcage?" Kinuhata mocked. She had a phone to her ear.

"Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me…!" Minho slid to a stop, preparing to run the opposite direction.

"Yeah; it's the guy I clobbered last night, third floor now. I'm super guessing he's the guy Hamazura said Kamijou was chasing…" Kinuhata spoke into her phone. "No worries, I'll send him right down to you!" She suddenly leapt forward and punched downward, the force of her attack easily shattering the floor in front of her, sending Minho tumbling down below to the second floor.

"Gah! Fuck… fuck fuck fuck!" Minho cursed as he pushed himself to his feet, looking up where he fell from. "What the fucking hell are you!?"

"An adorable girl with super amazing thighs!" Kinuhata proudly replied.

"That does NOT answer my question!" Minho shouted angrily.

"Master, duck!" Archer suddenly called out in Minho's head. Minho barely managed to dodge a beam of green energy arced downward that would have otherwise struck him. He gulped; the beam burned right through the floor like it was nothing. Minho slowly turned to look behind him to see a girl with green orbs floating around her head.

"Kamijou and the others might frown upon it… but in a situation like this, I really do think it will be just more convenient to kill him…" Mugino spoke to no-one particular. Minho's response was to run as fast as he could to avoid the girl behind him.

"Shit shit shit! Euryale! Your luck is supposed to be EX Rank! Why is this happening!?" He shouted in his own mind.

"My luck IS EX Rank… yours is clearly E." Archer promptly replied.

"No fucking shit!" Minho turned a corner, just narrowly dodging a Meltdowner blast. He found a set of stairs and started to go down, but was cut off when three people blocked their path… and one of them that looked like a Nun had what he could only say looked like some kind of fairy about 15 CM tall sitting on her head.

"…That human looks like the one who tried to smash a hammer into Kamijou's head." The tiny Magic God known as Othinus stated as she sat on Index's head.

"…He must be the guy Touma was chasing! He said brown hair and red eyes, right?" Index added. Hamazura and Takitsubo looked up at the man.

"…This… this can't be happening!" Minho quickly turned around and leapt up the side of the stairs, catching a glimpse of Mugino who appeared to still be chasing him.

"Master, what's the plan?" Archer asked.

"Working on it… every idea I've had today has decided to backfire on me!" Minho shouted. He eventually reached the south side of the building, exhaustion starting to take him. His eyes drifted to a large window leading out into the street; the mall had a north and a south entrance, after all. He moved toward it, intent on jumping out to escape.

He didn't move very far before a fist collided with his face. He fell and rolled, slamming against the railing with the window right behind him.

"You… are a pain in the ass to find, pal." Touma spoke up.

"…Fucking hell." Minho cursed, pushing himself up. It wasn't long before the rest of Touma's group arrived and crowded around. Saber was the last to join, as she decided to ensure the remaining cursed runes were destroyed.

"End of the line. I don't know what you were trying to pull, but it's over." Touma stated. Minho racked his mind for an idea. He reasoned out that at this point he only had one option.

He sighed and put his hands up, indicative of surrender.

"What are you doing, master?" Archer asked in a curious tone.

"…As much as it pains me to say it, an important thing to keep in mind is to know when to give up." Minho responded mentally. "The way out is behind me, but I have no way to try and reach it or take these guys out without the Imagine Breaker thrashing it…"

"…That's unfortunate." Archer replied in a somber voice.

"Yeah… sorry that I couldn't bring you into the game sooner; its game over, Archer." Minho sighed again as Touma's group moved forward to take the magician in.

Suddenly, the window behind Minho shattered.

Shards of glass went flying everywhere as a massive whirlwind kicked up. Touma slid-backward as he tried to shield his eyes and just barely caught a glimpse of a man grabbing Minho from behind and shooting into the sky, although he didn't manage to focus enough to get any kind of information on the assailant. And just as quickly as the attack came, it ended.

Minho was gone.

"Fucking… piece of shit!" Mugino shouted. "Mother fucker had back-up! He gave us the run around on purpose!"

"At least we stopped him from whatever he was trying to do… but god damn; I think I lost five pounds running around trying to find him, on top of running after those runes!" Hamazura wiped some sweat from his forehead.

"I think it's safe to say we all put our exercise in… this is going to be tough to explain though…" Touma sighed. Suddenly, his phone went off, and he answered it without even checking to see who it was.

"Hey, Kamijou," It was Leivinia. "Just caught wind that my boys just lost track of their mark; should be a guy with brown hair and red eyes, you seen him? They commented that you were in the area."

"…Let's just say that wind part of your explanation was a pun, and you never even knew." Touma replied. "He was trying to cause a bombing incident at a mall; probably trying to evade your guys."

"Shit… I was afraid of that." Leivinia sounded disappointed. "How'd he make it out?"

"Some guy lifted him off; some kind of wind-based magic. I couldn't tell who it was, sorry." Touma replied.

"…That kind of ability matches up with one of the reports I have in front of me." Leivinia replied.

"...The guy; was that who I think it was?"

"The one you were chasing? That was Minho; he started all this shit, plus some other unrelated incidents if these back-logged reports I dug up are accurate." Leivinia responded. Touma thought for a moment before he decided to speak.

"…Any idea where he's going? He's running around with a Servant it looks like." Touma asked.

"No idea- hold on, just got something…" The sound of moving paper could be heard, as well as Leivinia talking to another man. "…Listen, if you really want to be involved with this asshole, I'll text you the address. Someone just found out where his private workshop is, and it doesn't sound fun."

 **-A short time later, undisclosed rooftop-**

"…Alright, I'll bite; what are you after." Minho asked as he sat down in front of another man.

The man appeared about nineteen years old. He had short blonde hair and gray eyes, and he wore a white shirt with a black jacket, gray loose pants, and black shoes, as well as black and yellow fingerless gloves. He carried a sword with Greek origin, the official name being Xiphos, with a gem inserted into the guard on both sides, and had it in a sheath on his belt. The last attribute worthy of note was a miniature compass he had on a necklace around his neck.

"Truth be told… I just saw you in trouble and decided to help you out." The man replied.

"That's a bad reason, Jonathan." Minho replied.

"For the last name, call me Joe Joe!" The man replied. He sighed and ruffled up his hair a bit. "Look… I don't know a whole a lot about this Grail War business… but you know it, right?"

"Still a bad reason, Jonathan…" Minho replied.

"…I'm going to punch you. I'm really going to punch you…!" Jonathan sighed.

"Look, I'm not really from the cabal; I was just working with them, you know?" Minho spoke up. "Thanks for the escape, but if you're trying to find your way back to your employers, I'm a bad route to take."

"…It's not really about that; me being picked was an accident, if you can remember." Jonathan rubbed his neck. "I really didn't have an option before because of their plan… but now… I have a chance to reach out and grab what I really want, you know?"

"…So you want an alliance?" Minho sighed. "Look, kid. You're young, plus you saved my ass back there so I'll cut you some slack, but I'm really not the type of person you want to deal with. You're a good guy, fighting for the good of mankind by being a bodyguard and a mercenary for the right people and what-not. I'm a shape-shifting bastard who curses people to death… me and you really don't mix."

"I… know… that last bit you mentioned was… kind of why I looked for you." Jonathan replied. "I know what wars like this can entail… but I don't know if I have the nerve… you know?"

"…You're willing to kill people for this?" Minho raised an eyebrow. "…What's your wish?"

"Our wish." Jonathan spoke up. "It's kind of… someone me and Noellia want, you know?"

"…You and Noellia? Look, she's cute for sure, but there are other girls-"

"It's not about that!" Jonathan shouted. "…Me and her, we've both been through a lot, and as it stands now with the world how it is… it's only going to get worse. We… we don't just want to fix the issues with our past; we want to make sure they can never happen again! To anyone else!"

"Ok; now you're DEFINITELY barking up the wrong-"

"I don't care!" Jonathan shouted. "Surely you must understand, right? What you do now to live; you must be at least a little bit like us to wind up how you are now! Please… we can't do this alone… we have only a small force that sided with Noellia and even that's limited… we need you to help us with our dream."

"…He's persistent." Archer called out in Minho's mind.

"…Trying to appeal to my inner humanity; kid's going to have a very rude awakening…" Minho replied internally.

"What will you do? Should I say that our game is back on?" Archer giggled while Minho frowned.

"…I hate doing this to kids." Minho said under his breath.

"Pardon?" Jonathan blinked.

"Nothing. Look; I don't believe in your cause or whatever, but if you really want me around, I can give you the same deal I gave the cabal; you help me and I help you." Minho replied.

"Of course; we're not asking for a hand-out… if we get the Grail, we all win, right?" Jonathan asked.

"…Did you call your Servant yet?" Minho asked.

"I did; he's an Assassin Class. He is dealing with some issues we that sprung up over the course of the night." Jonathan asked.

"…You got an assassin? The world truly is cruel." Minho replied, pushing himself to his feet. After a moment, Archer appeared beside the shapeshifter and smiled warmly at Jonathan. "Congratulations; you won over the Master of the Archer class. The side of the deal where you help me is active starting now."

"…? What's wrong?" Jonathan asked.

"You saved me from the same people who raided the Solution to Nothingness along with the Dawn-Colored Sunlight, and on top of that magi from that cabal were also chasing me down." Minho explained. "If they've done some serious research, they probably have found a few of my hide-outs… most of them are long gone by now, but one of them is active and hot."

"…I see. So if they invaded your current residence…"

"Right! A lot of stuff; my spells, curses, even my notes on the spell to force a Grail War; they all fall into the Dawn-Colored Sunlight's hands. Bigger downside; with the firepower they're packing I can't exactly do a whole lot about them…" Minho put his hands into his pockets.

"I can get ahold of Noellia. She's experienced with dealing with groups of aggressors like this. Plus, her Servant is nothing to laugh at."

"Oh yeah? Who'd she draw out?" Minho asked.

"…She is the current master of Berserker."

* * *

 **And now the other masters are starting to reveal themselves... but who their Servants exactly are? That's the surprise...**

 **Review if you wish; as always I adore feedback. I hope you all enjoyed!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	9. Cursed Findings

**Not much to say here... I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"So… this is the place huh…" Touma asked, looking up at a three-story apartment complex in a remote part of the city. The neighborhood was rather rundown in comparison to the rest of the city, and was rather empty as well. It was very clear that few people ever came to this portion of London.

This is why it made sense that it was a near-perfect hideout for a magician.

"All the signs point to it. No visual reports of him coming or going, but there is a mana signature here, and the group I sent in to investigate this area found some rather nasty surprises waiting for them." Leivinia replied.

"…How bad are we talking here?" Hamazura asked.

"Not enough to kill but… well; don't touch anything we tell you not to touch." Leivinia replied. "Unless you have magic resistance like this special little snowflake!" The blonde cabal boss patted Artoria on the back.

"…Why are you touching me?" Artoria asked.

"I think she's just excited… don't worry too much." Touma shrugged.

"Great… why are we super here again?" Kinuhata asked. "If it's just dealing with the asshole from the mall then Hamazura will be fine…"

"Cause this Minho bastard pissed me the fuck off." Mugino replied, popping her neck.

"Alright… what are the chances that the guy is actually here?" Hamazura questioned.

"Not sure; but even if he's not we should be able to get something from his workshop." Leivinia answered.

"His residence is located on the second floor, apartment twelve." Mark Space added. "The people-clearing field is set; only magicians and those we allow will be able to enter now."

"Then let's not waste any time." Leivinia marked forward, and the rest of the group followed. It didn't take long to find the apartment they were looking for.

"This reeks of magic… it's definitely it." Index commented.

"Door is probably booby-trapped…" Mark stated.

"Then allow me." Artoria walked forward and grasped the handle. In an instant a raging flame tried to engulf the King of Knights, but the magic was erased almost as soon as it touched Artoria; any damage the spell could have done being nullified by her magic resistance skill. She forced open the door, breaking the lock in the process, and granted entry to the group.

Like the rest of the building, it was strikingly run down, though this area was remarkably in better condition, clear signs of human intervention.

"Alright, stay clear of any magic circles or anything that gives off a foreboding aura. If you're not sure, get either me, Mark, Index, or Artoria to take a look for you. If you wind-up cursed, run as fast as you can to Kamijou… his Imagine Breaker should be able to handle it." Leivinia announced. The group split-up to search the room at this point.

The most they found were more traps. Curses of all kinds of elements and variations, but they were easily dealt with due to the groups composition of people. Hamazura managed to find a few papers related to brands of a Petrification curse, and quickly began turning into stone after finding it. Luckily, Touma's Imagine Breaker was able to negate the curse entirely, and afterward the curse on the papers seemed to have worn off. Mark put the documents in a sealed container just in case.

There were clear signs that objects had been moved, possibly to a new location, which was surmised to be the Solution to Nothingness mansion, which was no more.

"Hey Birdway," Touma called out. "What do you have on Minho, anyway?"

"Not much; he's a man who has gone by many names, with Minho being his current alias. He has a tendency to wander from location to location, offering services, and ends up usually using the person or the organization, whether they are aware of it or not. Sometimes they both come out ahead, sometimes he bleeds them dry and leaves; he's not what you'd call a good person." Leivinia just finished checking a bookshelf for anything notable, moving onto the next object when her attempt proved unsuccessful.

After about ten minutes most of the apartment was searched. They managed to find a few more documents, but nothing related to the current situation.

The only room left was the bedroom.

"…Alright, last stop. Want me to get it for you? I'm basically immune to these traps he has set up." Touma offered.

"Depending on how things in here are enchanted, your Imagine Breaker may just blow the whole room away on contact." Leivinia replied as see reached forward, grabbing the door handle. She felt a little prick of something on contact and pulled her hand back. "Ouch! Stupid static electricity!"

"Need some help over there?" Touma asked in a mocking tone.

"Shut it! I'm fine!" Leivinia shouted as she tore the room's door open. Inside was a mostly normal bedroom, but also a lot of books and other equipment. "Aha! So that's where it all was! He just moved it all in here; how about that!"

"…Kind of weird that there was no defense mechanism in place." Touma stated as he walked in.

"Eh, its fine. Even if there was something, I would have been able to handle it." Leivinia bent over to pick up a book that was on the floor. "Personal notes… this looks like what we're after. The date is several years ago though… maybe he has multiple volumes…?"

"Could be… I don't know how crazy magicians get into their research… but I think its common practice to keep multiple sets of notes for stuff?" Touma picked up a book himself with his left hand, but it seemed to be a standard novel, probably for pleasure reading. He turned towards Leivinia to see her picking up some things to place them on a dresser, possibly to organize them later.

But something seemed… off.

"Birdway… did you suddenly get taller?" Touma asked.

"Huh? What kind of question is that?" Leivinia turned to face him.

"Well… you're usually about here…" Touma put his hand around where he felt Leivinia was supposed to be. "But now you're up here…" Touma raised his hand to Leivinia's current height.

"Come on; don't waste time with stupid bull like that. Seriously." Leivinia crossed her arms.

"…Maybe I imagined it. I just wanted to be careful since we don't know what's a trap here and what isn't. The ones back in the mall were super obvious but with these even Index is having trouble finding them…" Touma asked.

"…Mark, get in here!" Leivinia shouted. After a moment Mark poked his head around the corner. "Alright, this idiot thinks there's something off about my height, and I want you to tell him he's full of shit, ok?"

"…Boss, how old are you?" Mark asked with a deadpan expression.

"Twelve you idiot! I turn thirteen in just a few months! Stop judging me unless you don't want to have a stomach anymore, got it!?" Leivinia shouted. Mark sighed.

"…You may want to check yourself out; you're looking more like a fourteen-year-old to me." Mark replied.

"…Wait, what?" Leivinia remarked as she began to give herself a once over. She didn't notice before, but her clothes felt awfully tight in comparison how they did not too long ago. Her hair had grown out just a tad more, and appeared to be carefully maintained. Her legs looked a little longer, and her hips a little bit wider. And finally, her bosom began to push out; it was slow but noticeable, especially in comparison to her former self.

"…H-holy crap!" Touma shouted.

"No kidding! This shit is amazing!" Leivinia replied as she felt her changing body as she literally grew up. "Mark! I'm not imagining this, am I!? "

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but the mana flowing into that makes it obviously some kind of spell; probably a curse given Minho's track record." Mark replied. "Although unlike the others… this appears to be maintained from a distance, judging from the mana flow anyway."

"I gathered that much, but a little glimpse into the future is still amazing, you know?" Leivinia smiled. "Mark; track down where the mana is flowing from. If I do anything magic related Minho might notice."

"…You just want to enjoy yourself." Mark deadpanned.

"Mark… because I'm in such a good mood… if you get to work, I'll overlook that wisecrack just now." Leivinia replied. Mark gulped and promptly pulled out a deck of cards, preparing some kind of spell.

"…S-so wait for Mark to track it, then I can negate it, right!?" Touma asked.

"More or less; though it'll be a shame to lose this, but I can be patient and wait naturally." Leivinia turned to Touma once more to find him with his eyes closed. "…What are you doing?"

"N-nothing! Nothing at all!" Touma turned his head, keeping his eyes shut tight.

"…I suppose this outfit is starting to get a little risqué…" Leivinia replied in a noticeably happy tone. "…Your self-control is really good; are those situations where you walk in on girls changing or just getting out of the bath really just accidents…?"

"I find it insulting that you'd question this unlucky Kamijou's self-control!" Touma sighed. "This just seems like a typical situation where if I did anything something bad would invariably happen… so I'm just going to stay away so no-one gets any ideas…"

"…So you want to look, eh?" Leivinia smirked.

"Oh don't you start!" Touma shouted.

"Fine… I suppose it is a little unfair teasing you with something that's not even permanent." Leivinia sighed. "Mark; status update. I'm up to probably nineteen, which looks really nice and curvy all things considered, but we have work to do."

"Oh? I thought you wanted to tease Kamijou some more. A sight like this is really something." Mark replied in an almost bored tone.

"You're not helping my dilemma here!" Touma shouted.

"Mark; final warning…" Leivinia growled.

"I got it." Mark stated. "They're closer than you think… though not really in the same district. With the curses dispelled we can have our operatives deal with the information gathering while we track down Minho."

"Right, that's fine." Leivinia replied. She turned and walked over to Touma. "Alright, just stick out your right hand and I'll do the rest."

"R-right!" Touma thrust his right hand out and felt another grab his wrist.

"Boss… before you do that-"

"No time, Mark. Save your concerns for later." Leivinia moved Touma's right hand to her own shoulder. A shattering sound could be heard and after a moment, Touma opened his eyes; Leivinia was completely back to normal.

Well… except for her stretched and torn clothes of course.

"…C-crap!" Leivinia did her best to try and cover herself.

"I tried to warn you…" Mark replied.

"…I-it might just be temporary, but here." Touma took off his own jacket and held it forward. "It's not much… but it'll help…" Leivinia slowly took the jacket and held it in front of herself, a little tinge of red just across her cheeks.

"…Kamijou," Leivinia spoke up. "Close your eyes and turn around, I'll let you know when you can look…"

"R-right!" Touma did what he was told promptly; doing everything he could to avoid an incident.

"Mark, close the door; you're fixing this. I'll wear the jacket until you're done." Leivinia ordered.

"W-why do I have to-"

"Zip it. Or would you prefer I just take yours; I'm not above wearing a man's clothes after all." Leivinia glared at her second in command. After a moment Mark sighed.

"Yes ma'am…"

 **-Same Time, Rooftop Several Blocks Away-**

"…That isn't good." Mihno stated. He had shifted to a sitting position after suddenly drawing a circle around him and placing himself in the middle with his hands clasped together. The circle had a bright green glow to it, but the glow suddenly faded as Minho spoke.

"What's wrong?" Jonathan asked.

"My last line of defense has been breached…" Minho replied. "What you saw was my Curse of Ages failing… I don't like it, but it's effective at times. It's based on an old legend from a long time ago where a god displeased with a man seeks to punish him. The man begs for forgiveness, and the god offers him a test, and ages the man, and says that if he can accomplish the god's task in his brittle state, he will grant the man eternal life, a reward instead of punishment. It ages the target's body by about one year every fifteen seconds, and it continues until they die."

"Sounds effective… what went wrong?" Jonathan crossed his arms.

"I was hoping whoever was involved didn't have that Imagine Breaker with him… guess they did, because there's no way to dispel it otherwise right now… though depending on who I hit, that might be changing soon." Minho sighed. "Moreover, it costs mana in order to keep running, and if the Imagine Breaker is involved, anything the curse did has probably already been reversed by now… I had a theory that if the curse was broken that the target would then return to normal, because it functions on the concept of bringing the targets future to the present, rather than just rapidly aging them, but to the Imagine Breaker it's probably irrelevant either way."

"…So it's time for plan B then." Jonathan concluded.

"Right; is she in place?" Minho asked, pushing himself up.

"She should be; the structure she described to me matched yours anyway."

"Right; have her level the place then. Do that and we'll move onto the part of this agreement where I help you; how does that sound?"

 **-Minho's Apartment-**

"…!" Artoria suddenly shot up from looking into a book she found.

"What's wrong?" Hamazura questioned as he was double checking several places he had already searched.

"…A Servant is near." Artoria put the book down and drew her hidden sword.

"Think Minho came back…?" Hamazura asked.

"No… this feels much different from the mall… it feels like-"

A loud roar erupted as the north side of the apartment was suddenly blown apart. Out from the cloud of dust a large poleaxe ripped through and struck Artoria, who skillfully blocked the strike, but the immense force behind it sent her reeling back. The group at large could only hear a low growl emanating from the dust cloud.

After a short time, the dust cleared enough to make out a male figure. He was tall with large black horns coming from the sides of his head that curved upward, and a large amount of white hair easily going down the man's back in terms of length, and was quite wild in appearance except for a single long pony-tail wrapped in red cloth, and he wore a large black mask that hid the man's visage from view. He wore a large spiked belt, the front of which being large enough to cover his abs, and several large pieces of red fabric that went down to his ankles coming from the belt's front, sides, and back, covering his lower body. His torso was mostly bare, but there were several iron bonds on his arms and legs, notably one of his legs had one with a large metal ball attached, but this didn't appear to impair his movement.

The more obvious point that most of the group observed first was that the male was strong enough to swing around two large poleaxes with ease.

"What the hell is going on out here!?" Leivinia, now more appropriately clothed, threw open the door as the three inside the bedroom exited in short order.

"The strength he wields… he is undoubtedly a Berserker!" Artoria shouted. The Berserker roared as he lifted his poleaxes and the group gathered to defend against the monster's assault.

But the attack was never directed at them.

It was instead directed at the ground. The strike was enough to shatter the hardwood floor with ease, and the shockwave rippling outward and destroying the walls, which then began to tumble. Berserker's rampage was not quelled, as although everyone was now falling, he struck the floor below as well.

"What the hell is this fucker doing…!?" Mugino shouted as her balance was suddenly lost and she began to fall.

"…That son of a…!" Leivinia gritted her teeth as she saw the walls begin to collapse inward due to the lack of support from the lower floors. "This bastard isn't here for us! He's destroying the building to make sure we can't get anything out of it! Someone stop him!"

"It's too late, it's collapsing inward!" Hamazura shouted. After a short time, the walls fell and the large section of the structure collapsed. His job complete, Berserker returned to spirit form and left the scene as the building continued to fall apart, eventually resulting in the apartment complex's complete annihilation.

A few short moments after the collapse was complete, a shockwave erupted outward, sending large pieces of the rubble flying.

Artoria stood in the middle, her blade now revealed as Invisible Air extended and wrapped around the entire group, saving them from the fall and the debris. After a short time, she dispelled Invisible Air, and her blade vanished from view as well.

"H-holy crap…" Kinuhata was on her back due to the fall. "That was… actually super scary, you know?"

"Everyone is alright it looks like… but the man who caused it has fled…" Takitsubo stated.

"This… fucker…!" Leivinia gritted her teeth before suddenly screaming in a fit of anger. She panted for a moment afterward before speaking again. "Mark… how much were we able to gather…?"

"A few documents, which can add to our library… but nothing related to the spell that forced the Grail War." Mark announced. "I'll call our standby forces to shift through the rubble and see what we can find, but judging from the destruction, I would anticipate it as being a near total loss of Minho's information…"

"…So… the only way to find this stuff out now… is to track down the bastard…" Leivinia popped her neck. "Be sure to update that report to state that Minho has DEFINITELY chosen a side…"

"Understood. What is our next course of action?" Mark questioned.

"You stay back here and oversee the recovery operation; if anything even has a CHANCE of survival, I want it on my desk back home. I'm going after Berserker and whoever the hell his master is." Leivinia replied.

"…I can track him." Artoria stated. "Berserker is not close by, but I can definitely follow him from here. More than likely he would be returning to his master with his mission complete."

"…Well, what are we doing Boss?" Hamazura pulled a fallen Touma to his feet.

"…I don't know about everyone, but this situation has long-past gone beyond what I consider acceptable; if there wasn't a people-clearing field here, any number of people could have been in this building… I can't sit here and accept tactics like that." Touma replied.

"I'll have your back man… I don't know what I can do against a Servant, but I bet I can help do a number on whoever's controlling them." Hamazura stated.

"I guess we're super going with too, huh…?" Kinuhata questioned openly.

"If Hamazura is going, so am I." Takitsubo announced.

"I haven't kicked in Minho's face yet, and I'm not going to be satisfied until I do it." Mugino stated.

"So we're staying for the long haul then… alright! Let's super mess them up!" Kinuhata cheerfully shouted.

With that the group was on the move once more.

 **-A Short Time Later-**

It was already getting close to dusk prior to the event at the apartment complex, but now it was without a doubt night.

"…Berserker has stopped." Artoria announced.

"Found his master? Or laying a trap?" Mugino asked.

"Probably both, knowing our luck… be ready for anything." Leivinia warned. The group continued to press forward. Eventually, they came to a four-way intersection, and Artoria suddenly stopped. The area was bare; clearly a people-clearing field had been set-up.

"What's wrong…?" Touma asked.

"…He's back!" Artoria drew her invisible blade as Berserker burst from the ground, attempting an overhead strike on her. The King of Knight's blade crashed into the Berserker's poleaxe, halting the attack.

"And there's the bastard! Now where's his master…?" Leivinia drew her brown flower wand once more.

"I have an idea… let's super hold the big guy hostage." Kinuhata suggested. "Mugino can burn holes into his shoulders and thighs to stop his arms and legs from moving, and even if that doesn't work, it's still eight on one; we can just super bully him around a bit until he surrenders!"

"…I'm starting to think I'm not being included…" Othinus mumbled from Touma's pocket.

"Its kind-of hard to keep you on the front line, you know…" Touma sighed.

"That is an interesting idea," A woman's voice called out. "It is very true that my dear Berserker, as strong as he is, would be hard-pressed to deal with eight opponents like you, especially with a Servant in your ranks. That's why we're going to be changing the numbers a little bit…!"

The sound of metallic footsteps rang out all around. Slowly, a detachment of animated suits of knight armor came into view, coming from every possible direction. There was curiosity in whether or not the suits of armor contained people, but when one rounded a corner without a head, that idea was discarded immediately.

"…Index… is there anything you can do about these…!?" Touma asked.

"…No, this is more akin to possession." Index stated, scanning the surrounding area. "Spirits have been attached to each one; they're all acting independently…"

"I hope you like them; it was hard tracking down this many sets of armor, you know." A woman came into view as the sets of armor stopped moving.

She matched the description of the woman who Kinuhata and Touma had crashed into before entering the mall earlier in the day.

"So I changed the numbers… instead of an eight versus one… how about eight versus fifty?" The woman spoke, confidence evident in her voice.

"A bunch of suits of armor won't save you." Leivinia narrowed her eyes. "…Noellia Revan."

"Ah… so you know who I am. That makes this act more than necessary…" Noellia spoke. "The armors only need to hold you off… without your Servant, Berserker can rampage unopposed!"

The suits of armor began to draw weaponry ranging from swords to daggers.

"Now my spirits… hold off the opposition for as long as you are able!" Noellia ordered. "And Berserker, destroy that Servant!" Berserker roared and started to swing his poleaxes wildly at Artoria, as the suits of armor ran to engage the remaining seven.

The suits of armor were slow, but surprisingly strong and resilient. Blows that would ordinarily kill a living man they shrugged off as their metallic bodies were struck and dented. It was eventually decided to remove the limbs of each suit in order to immobilize them, but the individual pieces remained animate, although less strong when detached from the main body. Touma's Imagine Breaker proved effective at rendering the suits completely inanimate once more, but their numbers were a constant issue.

It was like Noellia said; their purpose was to hold off the main group while Berserker fought and killed Artoria.

Unfortunately for Noellia, the second half of the plan was becoming increasingly difficult to visualize.

Because Artoria was able to match each one of Berserker's swings with her own strength.

"W-what is this… you're just a Saber-Class, aren't you!?" Noellia shouted. "There is no way a Saber-Class Servant should be able to match the strength of a Berserker class!"

"You forget an important factor; tell me, where exactly are we right now!?" Artoria shouted as she continued to match Berserker swing for swing.

Noellia racked her mind. The only thing she could gather was the Fame Bonus factor, as Servants with legends that had strong ties to the land in which they fought would be greatly strengthened. Their location was London, so it would have to be a British hero of some kind.

The only immediate legends she could think have involved the Knights of the Round Table who served King Arthur during his reign. There was also Merlin and possibly Morgan le Fay, but both of them would invariably summoned as a Caster, if they could be summoned at all, so that left the knights.

And of course, the king in which those knights served under.

"…Impossible…! You can't be!" Noellia took a step back upon realizing the only one who would benefit enough from the Fame Bonus to be able to match her Berserker's monstrous strength.

"If my identity is known, then there is no longer a reason to hide my blade!" Artoria announced. In an instant, Invisible Air vanished from Excalibur, revealing the golden blade's true glory. Light emanated from the blade as she swung, discharging a wave of holy energy that blasted Berserker back. It was just a fraction of Excalibur's power, but it proved more than enough to launch Berserker.

Berserker had a notable gash cross his chest and his mask was broken, revealing his true face. His face was that of a normal man, the one exception being his eyes; the irises were red, but the rest was completely black. Berserker panted as he felt the wound across his chest.

"No… no! Asterios!" Noellia cried out as she ran to Berserker's side.

"Asterios…? Your Servant is the Minotaur of Greek Mythology…?" Artoria questioned. Berserker seemed to react violently to the term Minotaur, and roared out violently, appearing eager to rejoin combat.

"No… stay back Asterios… we… we need to retreat!" Noellia was suddenly panicking; a completely different trait from her previous persona.

"Then consider yourself blessed I have approached from the south, and that my blade faces the north!" A male voice called out. In an instant a sudden and powerful gust of wind erupted from a different street; the temperature of the wind was searing hot and although it didn't affect Artoria's body, the effect it had on her vision was a different story, as it seemed to twist and distort, a phenomenon that appears in instances of extreme heat. She almost missed the appearance of a male charging at her with a blade.

It was a Xiphos, a sword common in the Greek military.

"J-Joe Joe…!?" Noellia called out.

"Get Berserker out of here… re-apply your spirits to the suits that have had them stripped!" Jonathan shouted out as he charged forward, swinging his blade down onto Artoria, who was able to easily block, but the swing unleashed another wave of burning-hot air.

"…Be careful!" Noellia stood up and Asterios the Berserker faded into spirit form. Noellia held out her hands as a green magic circle appeared below her, and a variety of white orbs flew form the ground, and suddenly raced into the suits of armor still battling the group. They entered the now inanimate suits of armor, and after that they began to move once more. With that, Noellia was quick to retreat.

"Why you…!?" Artoria gritted her teeth as she threw off Jonathan and charged. The wind-based magician was quick to dodge, though it appeared unnaturally; he was using wind-based magic to increase his speed by applying it in the direction he wished to move. It was clear that Jonathan's role was to be enough of a thorn in Artoria's side that she'd have to focus on him instead of chasing Noellia and Berserker down.

And he performed admirably, but his game wouldn't last long. The group finally fended off the attacking suits of armor and were quick to join Artoria's side. Jonathan stood across from the group, holding his blade in one hand.

"Looks like all that's left… is the sacrificial lamb." Leivinia commented.

"Hardly," Jonathan replied. "I've done exactly what I set out to do."

"So what? You think we're going to let you get away?" Mugino formed several green orbs around her.

"Not a chance… ORA!" He swung his blade down and unleash a massive blast of super-heated wind forward. Touma acted quickly and held out his right hand and negated the sudden attack, but Jonathan was suddenly in the air.

Jonathan's attack was a feint, and he quickly took to the sky to retreat, and was doing so very rapidly. Mugino in a fit of anger fired off several Meltdowner beams at the magician, but it appeared to be out of range as Jonathan was quickly able to dodge them. Artoria entertained the thought of chasing after the man, but something else caught her attention.

Just as Jonathan flew over a set of buildings, another Servant had appeared.

It was remarkably different from the feeling Berserker gave off, and was coming straight for the group. The others were beginning to curse their failure, but Artoria suddenly turned, wrapping her blade once more in Invisible Air and aiming it down an alleyway, and this silenced the group.

"Finally… I managed to meet up with one… I've been trying to locate a Servant… everyone has bene so mobile I haven't been able to speak with one!" The sound of the voice was that of a girl, which was followed by a relieved sigh form the same origin point.

The female servant stepped forward, an act that surprised the group. She had blonde hair that was tied into a long ponytail that went down her back, and had amethyst-colored eyes with an odd pre-innocent look to them, and had a unique head-decoration that covered most of her forehead. Her outfit was a combination of purple cloth and solid steel.

But her outward appearance is not what was surprising.

It was the fact that she was completely alone. She was clearly a Servant, but if she was one, her master was strangely absent.

"…Who are you?" Artoria asked.

"Oh! My apologies; you must have just exited battle… I can tell that my sudden appearance here may seem suspicious, but I assure you I mean you and your allies no harm." The girl held her hands up.

"…She isn't attacking us… I mean; if she wanted to fight she would have shown up a lot sooner…" Touma crossed his arms. "I think it's enough to rule out that she isn't working with Minho…"

"It could be a super trap by one of the other sides…" Kinuhata added.

"…If you truly wish to make peace with us, then tell us your name and class." Artoria demanded.

"Oh, I get you; make her give us something valuable as security… not bad…" Leivinia stated. "We need something since more than likely Minho has left the location that Mark managed to trace…"

"…I had every intention of revealing myself to you from the start." The female Servant replied. "Not doing so would hinder my duties at this current point in time."

"…Ok, hold on," Hamazura spoke up. "If it's the one thing I had fairly down about this whole thing was that Servant's need to hide their identities to prevent their weakness from being revealed… so why are you the magical exception that actually needs to reveal who you are?"

"Because I am Jeanne d'Arc and I am the Ruler-Class Servant assigned to this Holy Grail War."

* * *

 **And so an 8th Servant is revealed, and it's an Extra-Class no less!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Please review at your leisure; I still enjoy reading your guy's thoughts. Have a good day!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	10. Irregular

**Not much to say here this time around, but that is often the case isn't it?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"So… you're a Ruler then…" Leivinia asked. The group had decided to relocate to a much more hospitable location to talk, and the only places that really came to mind were either Leivinia's cabal, or Shirou and Rin's apartment. Leivinia shot down the first option rather quickly, not trusting the Ruler.

"Yes, that is correct. My purpose is to act in the best interest of the Holy Grail." Ruler replied. "It is also my goal to ensure that the rules are followed strictly, and to prevent actions that could possibly devastate the world."

"…So if one of these guys were to try to destroy the world, grail or otherwise, you'd be the force to stop it?" Hamazura asked. Ruler quickly nodded.

"That is correct… and that is why I wanted to meet with the masters involved with this war…" Ruler replied. "I am trying to reason out why I was summoned… as the situation where a Ruler is called is extraordinarily rare, and only for extreme circumstances. If there was a possible threat to the world at large involved, it would be one of those qualifying criteria, I believe."

"…Could it be because of the spell used to force the war?" Shirou asked. He and Rin had been home since before the group returned from their adventure.

"Someone… forced the war?" Ruler asked. It was becoming clear that she knew that she was summoned for the Holy Grail War, but not the extra details surrounding it.

"…To put it simply, somehow a man named Hayden managed to track down the plans for the Holy Grail War and made a specific spell design to force one to happen." Rin explained. "I have to guess that it requires a large amount of mana to do, but the Illegal Grail War as it was called was extremely haphazardous; Servants were chosen randomly for masters, and ones who normally can't be summoned were called forth, as well as there being eight masters instead of seven… this one appears much more by the books in comparison."

"I see… I had the understanding that magecraft was in decline… if such a thing is possible as you say, I can only imagine the opposite being true…" Ruler commented. "…In this previous war, was there a Ruler as well?"

"No there wasn't… the chaotic nature of it probably meant the eighth slot originally reserved for a Ruler must have been taken up by one of the master and Servant combinations…" Shirou stated.

"It's possible the fact that there were eight servants meant that a Ruler was supposed to be summoned due to the possible threat to the world, but due to the reckless nature of the spell it ended up summoning another Servant instead." Rin added.

"So that war was a world-threatening situation… such misfortune…" Touma scratched the back of his head.

"I see…" Ruler spoke as she thought on the situation at hand. Her eyes drifted around until they stopped on Artoria. "…Artoria Pendragon, were you a Servant in this Illegal Grail War? I can tell you're not tied to this one."

"I was one of two Servants who decided to remain in the world after the war was over." Artoria responded.

"Really? And your master is able to maintain you without the Grail's support?" Ruler replied.

"Sometimes it can be a problem, but most of the time she's fine. Emiya-kun helps me on days where it's difficult." Rin replied. Ruler nodded at her and crossed her arms, trying to think. Her eyes wandered for a moment before noticing Touma's command seals on his left hand. "Excuse me… em…"

"Kamijou Touma," Touma spoke up.

"Ah, Touma…" Ruler sighed. "You have command seals as well… where is your Servant?"

"Somewhere in the United States… last I heard from him he was in New York City." Touma replied.

"The… United States…? But that's so far… how are you able to maintain him from such a distance?"

"I don't know… he mentioned something about his Independent Action skill helping… but our situation as master and Servant is more than a little bit weird; we really don't know how it happened." Touma replied.

"…Who is your Servant?" Ruler asked slowly.

"Let's just say he's a bit on the tough side… I'd rather not say much more though if you don't mind. I feel like he's the kind of person who'd have a sixth sense; able to detect whenever someone is talking about him… he has a bit of an ego problem." Touma replied.

"…I suppose if he's not here, he wouldn't be involved then…"Ruler stated. " Sorry if I'm prying' I'm trying to discern why I was summoned is all. I feel that the simple fact that the war is forced isn't enough of a reason... and as far as I can tell the presence of Servants from previous wars isn't it either…"

"…May I ask you a question then, Ruler," Leivinia began. "…How are you being maintained without a master?"

"T-that's… em…" Ruler trailed off. "…Normally a Ruler is able to self-sustain due to the Grail, that's the reason why I am able to manifest without a master… but my own situation is… rather complicated…"

"Listen; you can either spill it here or I'll look into it myself." Leivinia stated. "I can track down the mage families that made the grail and force an answer out of them as to what happens in this scenario…"

"…Leave me out of that; I'm just as lost as you." Rin called out.

"Ugh… fine…" Ruler sighed. "For some reason the Holy Grail was not able to produce a proper Servant body for me…"

"Ah, there's the weirdness I was expecting with this situation…" Rin stated. "Looks like even after this Minho guy hard-core customized the spell, it's still not perfect."

"Hold on… if that's the case… then how are you able to appear before us…?" Index chimed in.

"…By possessing a girl with a similar enough body to my own." Ruler admitted.

"…I hope you realize how bad that sounds." Leivinia spoke with a deadpan expression.

"I am aware… that's why I didn't want to say it! Your question caught me off guard!" Ruler defended herself. "She was completely willing… the girl's name is Laeticia; she's a French girl who journeyed here for her college courses…"

"…So you have access to the girl's memories?" Leivinia asked.

"I do… I say possession, but in a sense it's more like a merger… I'm more dominant but everything she has learned I have access to as well, including her memories…" Ruler explained.

"…Will she return to normal?" Touma asked.

"She will… I'm not sure if she'll retain any of the memories from our merger, but after the war is over and I fade, she should return to being a normal girl." Ruler stated.

"So, going over the facts…" Leivinia started to speak. "We have confirmed the existence of a Saber and an Archer. From the sounds of things… Mugino had a run in with the Caster, and if I had to guess the other one was the Rider. We know the Berserker is Asterios, and he has no knowledge of transformation in his legends… which leaves the Lancer, the Assassin, or if she's telling the truth, the Ruler."

"…I think she's telling the truth." Hamazura spoke up. "Either way, if she was with Minho, she would have joined in the fight instead of just finding us shortly after it was over… I don't think she has a reason to lie to us."

"I'm inclined to believe her as well." Artoria stated. "The legends surrounding Jeanne D' Arc would certainly qualify her as being a Ruler-Class Servant, and so far she has been very cooperative and respectful."

"I'm kind of in that boat too; she doesn't seem bad." Touma spoke up.

"Well boss lady; its super your turn to vote. I don't think the rest of us have much of an opinion one way or the other." Kinuhata spoke. Leivinia eyed Ruler for a moment before sighing.

"…I suppose in the long run it's irrelevant." She stated. "If you are the Ruler, then your business is with the current participants in the war; not us. I'm just after Minho because he's the one who started everything."

"Minho… who is that?" Ruler asked.

"He is the master of Archer, and the one who recovered and customized Hayden's spell to cause the Grail War." Leivinia replied. "If you want information on everything, he's your best bet."

"I see… thank you very much." Ruler smiled. "Thanks to you I believe that I am headed in the right direction."

"It's no problem… just be careful around Minho; he doesn't like to play fair." Touma advised.

"It's fine; as a Ruler-Class Servant I have two command seals for each Servant in the war, so I can redirect their attacks, and my Magic Resistance is EX Rank; no spell will be able to harm me." Ruler cheerfully replied.

"Still… just take care of yourself. You never know what you'll run into these days…" Hamazura warned.

"It will be fine, but I thank you for your concern." Ruler pushed herself up to her feet with a smile. "I've been doing my best to take care-"

She was interrupted when the sound of a loud growl of some kind rippled through the room. Most were confused but were able to notice it came from the south side of the room.

The side that Ruler was currently residing in.

"…Just a thought, but if you're possessing the girl… that does mean that you need food… right?" Hamazura asked. Ruler's face flushed red with embarrassment as she tried to avoid direct eye contact. Shirou glanced over at Rin for a moment as he took a drink.

"…Go on ahead; I know you want to." Rin stated.

"Alright… say… Ruler? Would you like to stay for dinner?" Shirou asked. Ruler hung her head and responded with a mumble.

"…Thank you very much for your hospitality…"

 **-In an Unknown Location-**

"I'm back…" Jonathan closed the door behind him. He walked into what seemed like a standard living space. Minho was hunched over a desk, while Noellia was tending to her Servant's wounds while Berserker ate.

"Nothing life threatening, right?" Minho asked as he fiddled with something at a desk. Clearly mana was being used but not much else could be noticed just by looking.

"I'm fine… a little worn out though." Jonathan popped his neck. "Has Assassin checked in at all?"

"He's waiting for you in… well; I think it's your room. I'm kind of the new guy around here." Minho looked over his shoulder. "He says to take your time and meet with him whenever you're ready."

"Alright… hey Noellia; how's Berserker holding up?" Jonathan called out.

"He's fine, just a few scratches; nothing I can't handle." Noellia replied. Berserker let out a pleased humming noise as he ate. Noellia smiled at her Servant. "How was the seasoned beef; you like it, right?"

"You two really get along… I'm impressed." Jonathan stated.

"Haha! Finally got it!" Minho suddenly shouted.

"…Alright, I'll bite; what are you working on?" Jonathan asked.

"In Holy Grail Wars, the neutral party meant to act as mediators is able to keep track of Servants with a little thing called a Spirit Board." Minho replied. "Well… I may have somehow cobbled together my own!"

"You're kidding…! So now we can track Servants?" Jonathan questioned.

"It should have an effective range of about London's City limits… so if a Servant is here we should be able to find them." Minho replied.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Fire it up!" Jonathan cheered.

"As you wish!" Minho waved his arms over the small little device he had constructed and after a moment it rumbled and projected a very basic 2D map of the surrounding area. Its radius was large like Minho stated, and several blinking dots appeared on the map. They had names attached, but they were class names rather than the names of the Servants. Three blips were in the center, which was assumed to be their location, which read Archer, Berserker, and Assassin.

"Hey… it works…!" Jonathan stated.

"Damn right it works; with this we can find any Servant still in London." Minho proudly announced. Noellia seemed to finally take interest and wandered over to stand next to the two.

"So… how about finding that Saber that caused us all that trouble tonight?" Noellia suggested.

"That one appears to be a left-over from a previous war… Won't know if the Saber I find is that one, but it can't hurt to look." Minho shrugged. It took a while due to the lack to detail on the map, but he did eventually find a Saber Servant.

And it was right next to a Ruler Class Servant.

"…The hell? What's this?" Minho leaned back and rubbed his chin, confused.

"…A Ruler? What's a Ruler-Class?" Jonathan questioned.

"Their supposed to be mediators to the war, summoned during emergency situations I believe… but why then is one here…?" Noellia added. Minho narrowed his eyes.

"The part that concerns me is the close proximity to the Saber… if that is indeed the left-over Saber…" Minho paused for a moment. "Rulers can't directly involve themselves with conflict between Servants involved in a Grail War unless their personal safety is in danger, or the conflict at large is judged to be a threat to the world… but in all other instances it's up to their discretion how they handle a situation for the most part… "

"…What's that mean for us?" Noellia crossed her arms.

"…I'm not sure. I don't know if it means she can't intervene with all Servant conflicts, or just with ones that are tied to the Grail War… if it's that first option we're fine, but if it's the second…"

"…She could rise up to defend the left-over Saber and her allies if she decided to… and since that group is still chasing you down…" Jonathan trailed off.

"If they somehow convince her to join up with their little party, it's more than likely curtains for me… and you two by proxy." Minho stated.

"Well… the threat here is very real… how do we handle it?" Noellia asked. Minho knocked on the table a few times before refocusing on the map.

"…The threat of that second option is too great. For the sake of safety, that Ruler has to die."

 **-The Next Morning-**

After dinner, Leivinia received a phone call from Mark, saying that the operation was finished, and that all important materials were waiting for her back at her cabal, leaving shortly after. The ITEM girls had decided amongst themselves that they wanted to sleep in proper beds for the night and moved to find an actual Hotel, dragging Hamazura along.

Ruler thanked the group again for their assistance and moved to leave, before suddenly losing her balance. Shirou asked if she was ok, and Ruler tried to respond but was interrupted by a powerful yawn from her mouth. It was reasoned out that Ruler must need sleep as well as food due to her human body, and she was offered a place to stay for the night.

She didn't stay long during the morning however, leaving after a very brief conversation, saying she must continue her quest for information as the Ruler of the War.

"So… what are your guy's plans today then?" Shirou asked.

"No idea… we can't do anything about Minho without a lead, and Birdway is tracking him… so all we can do is wait for Birdway. I guess otherwise we're more or less free." Touma replied.

"Well… since your attempts at just enjoying London keep getting squashed… why not give it a go this time?" Rin asked. "I'd say join us at Clock Tower for a day… but I'm not sure how the magi there would react to your right hand… Index is probably fine because of her Church connections but you are a different story…"

"He'd be fine; this human is on good terms with the British Royal Family, which has authority over Clock Tower branch of the Mages Association. They wouldn't dare put a sealing designation on him out of fear of the Royal Family's wrath should they find out." Othinus stated, taking small bites out of a piece of sausage.

"…Should I ask WHY you have connections with the British Royal Family…!?" Rin asked.

"…Well… Remember the British Halloween incident?" Touma rubbed the back of his head and locked away.

"No; no way. I refuse to accept that! Why were you even in the United Kingdom back then!?" Rin shouted in her fit of frustration and confusion.

"I was requested to help with an investigation, and Touma had to come because he's been designated as my guardian by the Church…" Index stated.

"…I want to ask how you were involved, but I have a feeling I won't like the answer…" Rin mumbled.

"I… didn't do much in the grand scheme of things… the most that happened involving me was Acqua of the Back flinging me at Carissa to beat her…" Touma sighed.

"…Acqua of the Back too huh… and you got into a fight with a Princess…" Rin huffed. "What's next? Are you friends with the President of the United States or something?"

"…Well…" Touma trailed off.

Rin's head all most immediately slammed into the table.

"Really… really!?" Rin tilted her head up, a noticeable red mark on her forehead from the impact. "Ugh… this is too much… my head hurts…"

"…Probably from the fact you just slammed it into the table, Tohsaka-san." Shirou spoke with a deadpan expression.

"You're not helping…" Rin muttered.

"I just feel like after hearing about his involvement with World War Three that nothing can really surprise me." Shirou stated.

"I'd doubt that claim too if it wasn't for the fact we actually met Fiamma of the Right… but you do have a point…" Rin sighed as she returned to a normal sitting position.

"...So Touma… you know the British Royal Family then?" Artoria asked. Touma nodded. "In that case… can you get me a meeting with them!?" Artoria suddenly shot up with an intense glow in her eyes, smiling wide with apparent excitement.

"H-huh!? Where did this come from!?" Touma asked.

"She may not be King anymore, but she is still very interested in British politics apparently…" Rin answered.

"So, can you? Please!?" Artoria asked again.

"I mean… I can try…" Touma replied. Artoria clasped both of her hands around one of Touma's hands, catching the boy off guard.

"Thank you! I will be sure to repay this debt; let me know if there is anything you require! I will do anything you ask!" Artoria bowed her head as her excitement got to her.

"B-be careful who you make that offer too! Someone could take it literally!" Touma replied in an embarrassed tone.

"She's trying hard…" Shirou commented.

"No; this time it's literal excitement about something she's interested in. You're a bad emotional reader." Rin took a drink of coffee as she replied.

"…Am I now? How so?" Shirou asked. Rin reached over and pinched Shirou's cheek.

"My dear Shirou-kun… we've been living together since we moved here; I think I know you quite well." Rin boasted.

"…Don't pinch me." Shirou replied. Rin giggled and rubbed her boyfriend's back.

"Quickly! Time is short; they will only be at the palace for a short time today because of an international meeting! We must hurry!" Artoria abruptly made her way to the front door, dragging Touma along.

"H-hey! Not so fast! I need to get my coat, its cold outside! Please hold ooooooonnnnnn!" Touma shouted as he struggled against Artoria's superior Servant strength.

"…So I see this is what we're doing today." Othinus huffed as she held onto Touma's right shoulder to stay in place.

"D-don't leave without me you guys!" Index shouted. She did have the thoughtful idea to grab Touma's coat for him before chasing after the trio.

"…I think Artoria fits right in with them, don't you think?" Shirou commented.

"I'm just glad she's socializing… I know adjusting to normal civilian life isn't easy and I thought she was getting lonely not really knowing anyone; it's good to see her having fun with friends." Rin replied. "…So, what happens after our finals today?"

"Winter break starts… what else?" Shirou shrugged.

"I mean with this whole Grail War incident; what are we going to do?"

"…Well, Artoria is already involved with it, and probably will be as long as Kamijou-san is… and he's probably stuck in it…" Shirou thought out loud.

"…Then I'll support you however I can." Rin replied. "Just remember to keep the Reality Marble as a last resort; especially here in London. Sealing designations are very real."

"…I love you, Rin." Shirou smiled. Rin blushed red but smiled back, as the two began to get ready for their last day of class before the Winter Break.

 **-The Streets of London-**

"So Mugino and Kinuhata are out shopping like they wanted… what do you want to do then? I figured you'd be joining them." Hamazura asked as he walked next to his girlfriend, Takitsubo.

"You didn't seem very interested in it yesterday…" Takitsubo replied. "…So I figured that we could do whatever you wanted… We haven't had a lot of time alone together recently, Hamazura."

"That's true… hey! It's been awhile since we've actually had a real date just you and me, and we're here in London! It's not exactly the city of love, but hey; take what you can get, right?!" Hamazura cheerfully suggested.

"What about the situation at hand?" Takitsubo cocked her head to the side.

"If they need us, they'll call us. Until then, how is this Hamazura-y guy supposed to ignore the opportunity to give his lovely girlfriend a good time!?" Hamazura crossed his arms. Takitsubo smiled and leaned in close, kissing Hamazura's cheek.

"You're sweet." Takitsubo stated with a smile. Hamazura's face turned red.

"T-that's what I'm supposed to say to you, ya know…" Hamazura rubbed his neck. Takitsubo grabbed his arm and held it close to her chest lovingly. Hamazura did his best to ignore the feeling of softness creeping up his arm, but a small trickle of blood dripped from his nose anyway.

"So, where do we go?" Takitsubo asked.

"Don't know… I can't speak or read English so I don't know anything is…" Hamazura replied rubbing away the blood.

"Then I'll pick… let's see…" The two walked for a time, enjoying each other's company. They eventually passed the mall they attempted to go visit yesterday, surprised to see the broken window already repaired. They had little intention of going inside, but someone exiting caught their attention.

She was in civilian clothing, but it was without a doubt the Ruler, Jeanne D' Arc. She noticed the couple and waved as they got closer.

"Eh? What are you doing here?" Hamazura asked.

"Investigating… I believe your associates stated that last night's events involving this Minho person began here." Ruler replied. "Archer's location is constantly changing and I can't seem to find a pattern, but I am also still trying to figure out what the reason is that a Ruler was summoned… I was hoping that something here would direct me to either one of them somehow…"

"Ah that's right… you can sense Servants… I forgot…" Hamazura rubbed the side of his head. "Honestly… all this magic stuff flies right over my head…"

"…I felt similarly when I first heard the word of God, so don't be discouraged." Ruler replied. "All will make sense in time."

"It's fine; not the first time something like this has happened." Hamazura stated. "I still remember when I first joined ITEM… a lot of dirty work I'd rather forget; disturbing part I got used to it… but that's in the past now."

"Do you have any regrets?" Ruler asked.

"…There's some stuff I'd rather have not done, but if I didn't join up I wouldn't have met Takitsubo, so I can't exactly say that I do." Hamazura smiled at his girlfriend.

"I see… that's good then." Ruler smiled. "As long as you can live without regrets, then it was a life worth living."

"How about yourself? Must have sucked being burned, right?" Hamazura asked. He realized what he said was a terribly blunt approach, considering the girl's backstory, but Ruler didn't seem to mind as she responded.

"It was painful, yes… but I became one with God that day. With the things I have done in God's name, I can find that end acceptable." Ruler replied.

"Jeeze… I don't think I would… guess what they say about country bumpkins being tough is true…" Hamazura commented.

"Country… bumpkin?" Ruler cocked her head to the side.

"Yeah; you were basically a farmer before you went out to fight right? So you're a country bumpkin." Hamazura joked.

"Oh yeah…? Well! You're… you're… a…" Ruler trailed off.

"…Listen, I'm just messing around, I didn't mean anything by-"

"I got it! You're a city slicker! Yeah! That's it!" Ruler stated, seeming quite pleased with herself.

"C-City slicker? Where are we; the 1950's?" Hamazura laughed. "Did you pick that up from the girl you're possessing…? Is that something she says often?"

"Err, n-no! I… just thought…" Ruler trailed off, embarrassed. Hamazura laughed for a while longer.

"Man, I don't care what Birdway says; you're alright in my book." He rubbed the back of his head. "Right; you're the country bumpkin, and I'm the city slicker. Fair is fair, right?"

"…I suppose so." Ruler smiled. "I guess this is just friendly banter, right?"

"Yeah; was just messing with you..." Hamazura returned the smile. His attention was suddenly caught by Takitsubo tugging on his arm. "Hey, something wrong?"

"Hamazura…" She spoke as she hugged Hamazura closer to her. "…I don't mind you having female friends, but remember; you can't NTR me… you are mine."

"Relax… it was just some messing with each other… you still haven't decided where you wanted to go yet, you know?" Hamazura patted his girlfriend's head. Takitsubo let out a pleasant hymn as a sign that she enjoyed the attention.

"Um… I'm afraid I don't know what you were suggesting… what is NTR?" Ruler asked.

"…Eh?" Both Hamazura and Takitsubo responded at the same time.

"S-should I know that or something?" Ruler asked.

"…So wait, you actually don't know what NTR is?" Hamazura asked with a clear look of disbelief on his face. Ruler shook her head no, and Hamazura let out what seemed to be a relieved sigh. "…My god… there is hope for this world yet."

"…Eh?" It was Ruler's turn to be confused.

"…I'm sorry Hamazura; I shouldn't have suspected you of flirting with such an innocent girl." Takitsubo stated.

"Eh!?" Ruler's confusion grew.

"It's fine, no one could have known…" Hamazura reassured his lover with a hug.

"Alright, that's enough!" Ruler's confusion was reaching a breaking point. "What is NTR!? Tell me!"

"…We can't." Hamazura answered.

"Why not!?" Ruler demanded.

"It would destroy the very innocence we've come to like about you." Takitsubo answered.

"…By my authority as a Ruler-Class Servant, I hereby order you to tell me what NTR is!" Ruler commanded.

"That has no influence over us and you know it." Hamazura deadpanned.

"We're quite lucky she's speaking Japanese when talking to us, aren't we?" Takitsubo added.

"T-that's…!" Ruler's face flushed red as embarrassment got to her, but she didn't surrender and got closer to the two. "Come on, just tell me! It can't be that bad; I can handle it! What is NTR!?"

"…She can never find out." Hamazura stated. Takitsubo nodded in agreement. Ruler let out a sound similar to an annoyed growl in response.

Their conversation was cut short as the sound of a screeching tire combined with the revving of an engine could be heard. The trio quickly moved out of the way as a large van crashed into a pole that was next to them.

"Holy… crap! Talk about reckless driving…" Hamazura sighed.

"…Hamazura, we should move." Takitsubo suggested.

"Huh? Why? The driver pissed and saying we caused it or something…?" Hamazura spoke with an annoyed expression.

"No… there is no driver." Ruler stated. The van was indeed empty, and despite the extensive damage it had received, it was backing up quickly.

"This seems familiar somehow…! Shit!" Hamazura shot up, helping Takitsubo to her feet. The van was revving its engine again and getting ready to charge at them once more. "Alright, ok; we need to move now- whoa!" Hamazura suddenly called out at as Ruler picked up both him and Takitsubo and made a dash for it, running with very impressive speed.

"H-how is this possible…!?" Hamazura asked in a state of shock.

"Servants are much stronger and faster than ordinary humans; leave it to me!" Ruler was indeed moving rapidly, and had the reflexes to move around people or obstacles that could have stopped her.

However, the vehicle appeared to be faster, and was smashing through those obstacles with ease while the people quickly saw the chaos ahead and got off the sidewalk.

Ruler made a sudden turn to dodge an impact and the van slid as it tried to turn, eventually resuming its chase. This continued for a few blocks, but the rampaging vehicle didn't let up in the slightest.

"Damn… this thing won't give up…" Hamazura slid his hand into his coat pocket and gripped something metal.

"I just need an area where few people will be able to see…!" Ruler stated. Eventually she turned the corner and found a mostly empty street, and set the couple down.

"H-hey, what are you doing…!?" Hamazura shouted.

"Don't worry; believe in me." Ruler stated as she shifted back into the outfit from last night, as it was apparently some kind of battle armor. The van turned the corner as it had so many times, sliding once more due to its momentum. This time however, Ruler charged forward. Instead of drawing the blade on her waist however, a large silver and gold flag on a long pole appeared in Ruler's hands. She leapt into the air and smashed her battle standard down onto the vehicle.

Metal split like it was butter as the battle standard demolished the vehicle. The metal tore and turned inwards as the pole made its way through with relative ease. Needless to say, but the van had also stopped moving, and appeared incapable of doing so as the engine was likely destroyed and the axles the wheels sat on met with a similar fate.

"…Holy crap." Hamazura let out a relieved sigh. "That was amazing…!"

"Thank you for your praise, but it was nothing." Ruler replied. "I simply needed a safe location to dispose of the threat."

In an instant, a blast of compressed air rippled out from an alleyway and struck Ruler's head. It looked powerful, but Ruler was seemingly unaffected; her hair barely even moving as the attack faded.

"…EX Rank Magic Resistance… Minho wasn't kidding when he said that Rulers were tough…" From the alleyway Jonathan walked forward, his sword drawn.

"State your identity immediately," Ruler demanded. "I can tell from your seals that you are a master; clarify your identity and reason for attacking me at once."

"…It's kind of obvious, right? When someone attacks someone else, they're intending to either hurt them or worse, you know." Jonathan shrugged; his tone gave the impression that he didn't like what he was doing.

"…I see." Ruler replied. "I cannot interfere with conflicts between Servants and their masters, but you are aware that self-defense is an entirely different matter, correct?"

"I know… hell, if you're a Ruler, my Servant's Noble Phantasm won't work on you anyway… you'd wind up innocent… even he agrees." Jonathan spoke. "But I suppose that just means that someone else will have to pull it off, right?"

At this point, figures of all shapes and sizes began to pour in from the various intersecting alleyways and streets. There were more suits of armor, mannequins; even other vehicles came into view.

"Oh… Christ…!" Hamazura looked around.

"Don't use the lord's name in vain." Ruler cautioned.

"Ruler, surrender yourself and your allies will not be harmed. We desire you and only you." A voice called out from a building top. Noellia stood above, overlooking the group as she spoke. "If you don't wish to cooperate, we will be forced to use them against you." Ruler gritted her teeth, but it wasn't her who would speak.

It was Hamazura.

"You think you can just fucking use us as a bargaining chip…!?" Hamazura shouted, reaching into his pocket again. "I don't care if you're a master; you're still a damn human being! Don't screw with me!" He pulled out a small handgun and opened fire. Noellia's face contorted in shock and she moved backward, just narrowly dodging the gunfire. She clicked her teeth as she moved to try and find a different vantage point, but a voice stopped her.

"Noellia Revan… you should be aware that the downside to that spell of yours is that it leaves trails of mana all over the place… and that it's a bad idea to be moving around in broad daylight like this; you're really breaking the rules here…" Leivinia Birdway stood across from the stoic magician with her arms crossed; her brown flower wand in one hand. "So how about you tell me where Minho is, and I let this little operation of yours walk… sound good?"

"…Not here to save the lovely couple or the Ruler, huh?" Noellia commented.

"Hamazura can fend for himself and take care of his girlfriend while he's at it; he's very resourceful." Leivinia replied. "The Ruler I could care less about; my goal here is taking down that bastard before he bails and tries this stunt in another country… that spell of his is too powerful to let run around… so I'll ask it again; where is Minho?"

"…I have no obligation to inform you, witch." Noellia replied. "Why don't you go and play pretend with your little cabal while real magicians work...?"

"Funny; I wonder what those kids you killed would say if they could see what this, "Real Magician," is doing with herself… how sad." Leivinia replied.

"…What did you just say…!?"Noellia's normally emotionless face twisted in anger as she prepared a spell. Leivinia smirked and swung her wand, using the moment of anger Noellia unleashed to act.

In that instant, the rooftop they were both on was suddenly engulfed in a sea of flames. A new battle had begun.

* * *

 **As I'm sure you've noticed, this story is rather OC Heavy. Please let me know what you think of them all; I tried my best to make them all seem interesting.**

 **Review was you wish; as always, i love feedback.**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	11. Noellia Revan

**Chapter 11... we're making a fair bit of progress, aren't we?**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The rooftop burned brightly and was easily visible from the ground below. After a moment, a figure could be seen leaping out of the flames, heading straight for the pavement.

"D-damn it all… Berserker!" Noellia called out. With a mighty roar Berserker formed just below Noellia to catch her, landing with a loud crash in the process.

"So… she is Berserker's master…" Ruler commented. Berserker suddenly moved forward to dodge a blast of compressed air that demolished the pavement with ease. Leivinia landed a short time after, jumping out of the flames above and landing safely below, her wand now transformed into a sword.

"Gee… I wonder how long until the various organizations notice a giant fireball on top of a building in the business district…" Leivinia snickered.

"Damn it all… Berserker! We have to kill Ruler now!" Noellia shouted. Berserker roared out and his twin-set of poleaxes appeared in his hands as he charged Ruler. His axes met her battle standard as Ruler began to defend herself, having clear trouble dealing with Berserker's massive strength. The possessed beings began to move but did so in Noellia's defense, who was being heavily pressured by Leivinia.

"I really must thank you for being kind enough to face me alone… it's really hard to hold back to make sure I don't exactly blow away my allies by going all out!" Leivinia grinned as her sword turned into a disk and suddenly the earth below the pavement burst up to assault Noellia, who was quick to call her servants to take the hits as she moved.

"You bitch… just who the hell do you think you are!?" Noellia cursed.

"Who the hell am I? Who the hell are you? I'm Leivinia Birdway, the leader of the largest magic cabal in the entire United Kingdom! If it wasn't for Minho, you wouldn't even be on my radar! I think it's time to put you in your place!" Leivinia grinned wide as the disk turned into a cup, and in an instant a massive explosion of water erupted from below the pavement, sending several possessed beings flying into the air.

That wasn't the end as the water droplets seemed to combine and turn into rather large daggers, which then flew into the spirits' shells and violently exploded with water pressure, sending pieces of them all around the street. Only the larger vehicles Noellia was controlling seemed to remain active but they still received heavy damage.

"And just like that, your little army is dealt with." Leivinia commented. "Being an Irish Evoker in this day and age is rather difficult, no?"

"Why you… don't mess with me!" Noellia cried out as a large circle grew below her as several balls of fire burst form the ground. On top of that, several of the now disassembled suits of armor and mannequins began to put themselves back together. The flames looked more akin to fairies rather than pure fire, and could be reasoned out to be fire spirits called forth.

"…Really now; getting serious when I'm just getting warmed up? This really is a mismatch…!" Leivinia grinned as her cup transformed once more into a wand as she took aim.

"Noellia's losing it… it'll be best to end this quickly." Jonathan remarked, holding his sword in the air, aiming to unleash its power on Leivinia, but a gunshot rang out and the blade was flung from his hand in an instant.

"It's not going to be that easy you piece of shit…!" Hamazura aimed his handgun at Jonathan with Takitsubo close behind him.

"Damn it all…!" Jonathan cursed as he waved his arms, unleashing a blast of wind pressure at Hamazura. The dirty blonde dove to the side as Takitsubo went in the other direction to avoid the attack. Hamazura opened fire when he landed and forced Jonathan to hide behind a vehicle in the street.

Jonathan may have been a magician, but he was still human; bullets in the right places would be just as fatal to him as they would be to anyone else.

"Takitsubo! Are you ok over there!?" Hamazura called out. The girl in question moved behind cover herself and nodded back at the dirty blonde. Satisfied with his girlfriend's apparent safety, Hamazura moved behind a public mailbox and reloaded his handgun.

"Son of a bitch… I need my sword, but that guy with the gun will probably be covering it… he's a good shot too…!" Jonathan held his thigh that had a noticeable hole in it; a bullet had managed to piece his leg. It went all the way through so there wasn't any danger left, but it still left him in a bad position.

He didn't have the time to set-up a proper healing spell to recover, as Hamazura would likely use this as an opportunity to attack.

And if he didn't move just right he could be shot dead.

He looked up above the car for a moment and unleashed another blast of compressed air at Hamazura's hiding spot, damaging it but otherwise not hurting the dirty blond. Hamazura ducked around the corner and opened fire, forcing Jonathan back behind cover.

It was a gunfight where only one man was actually using a gun. If Hamazura was a certain someone else, he would be cursing his misfortune right now.

Ruler continued to defensively fight Berserker, who was proving most difficult to keep at bay. Ruler's superior agility allowed her to maneuver around Asterios' mighty swings but the Berserker was extremely resilient to damage, and would keep coming back swinging no matter how he was injured.

It was a pointless fight if Ruler couldn't meaningfully hurt her opponent; eventually she would tire and Berserker would capitalize on it. Ruler weighed her options; her primary Noble Phantasm was a suicide attack that would undoubtedly defeat Berserker but at the cost of her own life, while at the same time she entertained the thought of using her own command seals to force Berserker to stand down, but the amount she had was limited and the possibility of needing them further down the line, in addition to the fact that Noellia could override Ruler's command seals with her own, effectively wasting them.

Berserker roared out and charged once more, but the sound of a motorcycle was slowly becoming louder. Berserker seemed to hear this too and turned to look down an intersecting road to meet a rapidly approaching Artoria, her motorcycle enveloped in Invisible Air's protection, as it smashed right into Berserker's side, knocking him over and eventually throwing him under the motorcycle as it continued on its path, effectively running over the horned giant.

Artoria's motorcycle slowed to a stop as she turned and put her foot out. On her bike, Index sat immediately behind the King of Knights, who was tightly hugging her waist in apparent fear.

Touma was sitting on the very back of the bike, doing the very same as Index.

"D-did we stop!? Please tell me we stopped…!" Index cried out, tears visible in her eyes.

"…Is it safe?" Othinus poked her head out of Touma's pocket.

"I-I thought I was going to die…" Touma lamented. "What… happened…!?"

"I ran over Berserker." Artoria replied.

"…You ran him over!?" Touma shouted, letting go due to the shock. Artoria simply looked back and nodded.

"I must thank you for your assistance…" Ruler stated.

"We saw the flames on that building from the palace." Artoria responded as she stood up; she had to pry Index's hands form her waist in order to move however.

"Palace…?" Ruler cocked her head to the side.

"It's a long story I'd rather not get into…" Touma replied. After a moment Berserker shot up to his feet and roared out, obviously enraged by the sudden attack. "Ah crap… Artoria, can you handle Berserker like before?"

"Of course. What is your plan of action, Touma?" Artoria asked.

"I'm going to give this Noellia girl a piece of my mind!" Touma shouted as he ran forward with Index following close behind. Berserker seemed to recognize his master's name being called and moved to intercept the two, but Artoria burst forward with a quick usage of Mana Burst, shifting into her battle armor and shoulder checking Berserker, knocking him aside and granting Touma and Index safe passage.

"Are you alright, Ruler?" Artoria called out.

"I'm fine…" Ruler replied. "…I just mention however… that now that this is a fight between Servants, even one from a previous war, I believe I am barred from providing assistance… I am unsure but I would like to remain impartial if possible…"

"Understood. Just stay back and rest; leave this to me!" Artoria rushed forward as Berserker recovered enough to charge ahead, the two clashing once more.

"Crap… it's do or die time…!" Jonathan breathed out. He eyed the area Hamazura was hiding.

"Last clip… this mailbox isn't going to take much more of a beating… surprised it's lasted this long!" Hamazura reloaded his handgun again as he leaned his back against his cover.

"I need to get his attention away from me long enough so I can get my sword back…" Jonathan spoke out loud. He suddenly had an idea and began to shout. "You're not bad, you know!? It's too bad this isn't exactly a game where we play fair!" He held out his hand from behind cover and fired a compressed blast of air at Takitsubo's hiding spot, causing the girl to cry out from the shock as the attack blew a section of her cover apart.

"Shit; Takitsubo!" Hamazura gritted his teeth. "You bastaaaarrrrdddd!" Hamazura dove from behind his own cover and began to run toward Takitsubo in an attempt to guard her.

But this is exactly what Jonathan wanted; with Hamazura's attention off him, he could grab his sword and end this farce of a battle.

That was his plan, anyway.

It suddenly went up in flames as a green beam ripped through the car he was hiding behind, causing it to explode violently. Jonathan cried out as his body was suddenly slammed against a concrete building by the explosive force. His head snapped up to look where the blast had come from.

"You're right; this isn't a fight where you can play fair… too bad it goes both ways." Mugino spoke. Kinuhata wasn't far behind.

"Shit… shiiiiiiitttttt!" Jonathan cried out as he forcefully used a spell to propel his body over to his sword, gripping it tightly, but the damage had been done.

He was too injured now; he couldn't find time to heal his wounds in combat with Hamazura, let alone the new girl, and in his much more damaged state, fighting another opponent would be equivalent to suicide.

He had to retreat. He cursed under his breath as he used the last bits of his strength to take to the air, ducking into an alleyway to escape.

"H-holy shit… that was rough…" Hamazura sighed.

"Are you ok Hamazura?" Takitsubo asked.

"I'm fine… but we're not done yet…" He spoke as he looked on to the fighting still happening just down the street.

Noellia and Leivinia were still clashing against one another, with Noellia having little success. Leivinia proved versatile enough to counteract her attacks, and with Berserker still fighting, her mana supply was starting to falter.

"Had enough yet? I need you alive after all so I'd rather not have you die on me…" Leivinia spoke in an almost bored tone.

"Go to hell…!" Noellia replied. She moved her hands for a bigger spell; she wanted to avoid calling higher spirits due to the mana required for Berserker, but she no longer had a choice. The concrete behind her broke apart as the earth rose up, a magic circle below her as she prepared her spell.

It ended immediately as the earth broke apart with a loud shattering sound.

"…This fight is over." Touma announced. Noellia cursed and looked behind her.

"Those were spirits you were calling forth; just like before." Index spoke. "Spells like that are special; not everyone can do them… just who are you?"

"Her full name is Noellia Revan, an Irish Evoker from a rare clan; she is the last if I recall." Leivinia answered. "Those flame spirits are fairly basic, but calling actual souls to move inanimate objects can't be done normally… isn't that right?"

"Stop talking like you know me!" Noellia shouted, flame spirits rising from the ground around her.

"I only know what was reported… you took out an entire cabal out on your own with that little trap of yours… too bad it had such a nasty price to pay." Leivinia commented.

"Don't twist that around! Killing the children was never my intent!" Noellia shouted.

"…What's… going on?" Touma asked, confused.

"Allow me to inform you, Kamijou…" Leivinia spoke. "A cabal was trying to track her down to forcefully use her abilities over souls of the dead, because they had done so in the past with her parents, but she decided enough was enough and took them down with a trap… however; she had become the guardian of a small entourage of children at an orphanage…"

"I… tried to send them away but… they didn't listen… but by the time I had notice it, there was nothing I could have done…!" Noellia gritted her teeth and let out a loud scream as more flame spirts rose out and all fired simultaneously at Leivinia. The blonde cabal boss was quick to counter with her wand turning into a cup and unleashing a torrent of water, dousing the fire spirits and sending them away with ease.

"You can gripe and complain all you want… let me make it clear; I. Don't. Want. You. I don't care if you're after the grail to revive those kids or not; it's not my problem." Leivinia stated. "I am after Minho and that is it… tell me where he is and we'll let this little incident slide, understand?"

"Without him… our chances of winning are…!" Noellia bit her lip.

"Stubborn girl…" Leivinia clicked her teeth in frustration.

"…You know, not only can I attach spirits of the dead to objects to make them animate under that soul's will…" Noellia began. "…But I can also attach them to living hosts to boost their abilities… the souls of the dead lending their power to the living."

"Your partner just bailed after getting his shit pushed in… you don't…" Leivinia trailed off as her eyes widened. "…You're not…!"

"Don't worry, my spirits… I only need your assistance a small time longer… please; lend your strength to Berserker!" Noellia shouted. In an instant white orbs began to flow form all of the animated objects and all at once they flew toward and slammed into Berserker's body, being absorbed. Berserker roared out loud as his body began to glow.

"No! Stop it! That's enough!" Touma run straight for Noellia. She called forth more flame spirits and sent them at both Touma and Leivinia, both of whom were able to easily deal with them, but this proved to be a feint as Noellia ran for an alleyway, but called back once more.

"Just one more little boost for my lovely Asterios!" Noellia called out, her command seal glowing. "By the order of this Command Seal… Berserker! Fight with everything you have!" In an instant, one of Noellia's seals vanished and Berserker roared out as a red glow briefly enveloped him. Noellia continued down the alleyway until she was out of sight.

"Damn it all!" Touma cursed.

"Bolstered by those spirits and a command seal… this is bad…!" Index spoke.

"…Leivinia, do you think you can help Artoria deal with Berserker? I don't have any time to lose." Touma asked.

"…End it, Kamijou. Just make sure she gets back alive." Leivinia ordered. Touma nodded ran down the same alleyway Noellia had gone down as fast as he could. Index wanted to stop him but before she could, Touma was gone. Index groaned as she shifted her attention to Berserker hoping that something she knew could help against the rampaging monster.

"Shit…! Boss! Wait up!" Hamazura noticed Touma run after the woman who had attacked them and was quick to follow them both.

"Hamazura super ran away… he really is good friends with Kamijou-san." Kinuhata commented.

"It's just Hamazura being Hamazura-y; nothing to worry about." Takitsubo commented.

"Sticking his head into shit is his deal… oh well, let's just make sure this big bad doesn't get an opportunity to chase after them, how does that sound?" Mugino turned her attention to the strengthened Berserker, who was starting his rampage.

 **-7 minutes Later-**

"I'm… really worn out… huh…" Noellia panted as she finally slowed to a stop. She had come to a waterway in the city.

She knew she was being followed; after all of that there's no way they'd let her escape.

But this gave her a new option. She could use her power as an Evoker to call forth a River Deity to eliminate her foes, and although she was exhausted, she had enough power left to do at least that. She began to prepare her ritual when a gunshot rang out. She paused for a moment, not sure if she was struck.

"It was just a warning shot; put your hands down… seeing as you magicians seem more likely to pull stunts with your hands…" Hamazura called out, aiming his handgun at Noellia. Touma walked forward as well, joining the confrontation.

"…Just a warning shot…? If you wanted to live, you should have just killed me..." Noellia commented as she turned around.

"That's enough; it's time to end this stupid conflict!" Touma shouted. "Call off Berserker; it doesn't have to be like this."

"What the hell do you know… you stupid brat! I can't give up now… not when I actually have a chance…!" Noellia shot back.

"Does it really matter?" Touma asked. "Sure; I don't know what all of this is like for you, and I don't fully understand what happened in your past… but do you really think that causing people more pain and suffering is going to change any of that!?"

"It's irrelevant." Noellia stated. "No matter what happens, I can fix whatever I have broken with the Grail. Every life that is destroyed I can return! It's completely irrelevant if people suffer and die by my hand, because I can correct every single mistake in their lives with the Grail!"

"But that doesn't change the fact that you hurt them; that you killed them. You will still know it, and each time you see their faces you'll be reminded of it… each time you look into those children's eyes you'll be reminded of each and every life you destroyed just to bring them back!" Touma shouted.

"You watch your tongue, boy…!" Noellia's hands twitched.

"Keep your hands down lady; final warning." Hamazura aimed with his handgun, but Touma forcefully lowered it with his left hand.

"…Would those kids like to be revived like this?" Touma asked. Noellia gritted her teeth as anger poured from her. "They wouldn't… they'd hate it. Look; what happened before is sad and nothing can change it… I understand that. But if they saw you now… I'm sure they'd forgive you for what happened. For you to care about them this much, you must have loved them a lot… and I'm sure they felt the same way about you." Touma continued to speak as he slowly walked toward her.

"What… are you…?" Noellia backed up on reflex, her mind suddenly conflicted.

"Those children are gone… you did what you did not to save yourself… but to protect them, right? That's why, right!? You knew those people were coming for you, and could have used those kids against you, so that you decided to rise up and fight! You stood up to them for the sake of those kids! Isn't that more of a reason to return to that peaceful life you had before; so you can be that special person again for another generation!? You worked so hard and loved those children… so why the hell would you throw all of that away!?"

"You… you…!" Noellia was suddenly at a loss for words. She suddenly screamed and raised her hands up, the water behind her shooting into the sky. Hamazura wasted no time and fired on the magician's hand, firing only a single round. The bullet tore through Noellia's hand and caused her to scream louder due to the pain, her spell falling apart due to her lack of concentration.

"As if those children would want this! As if they would want to see you go down the path of murder just to change the past! What they would want is for you to live on in their memory, to continue caring for others as you always have! If you really think you can fix everything just by killing innocent people, then I'll shatter that illusion of yours!" Touma leapt forward and smashed his fist into Noellia's face. She stumbled backwards into the railing, flipping over it and falling into the waterway. Touma looked over the railing for a moment.

"Shit… sorry… I didn't mean for her to go down like that…!" Hamazura spoke.

"It's fine… you were just worried about me, right?" Touma asked. "…Who knows what that spell could have done… you might have just saved me Hamazura."

"Maybe… hah… is this really what you go through? Jeeze…" Hamazura sighed. "…What's the plan of action now, boss?"

"We see if she washes up anywhere in the city… we have to make sure." Touma turned to face Hamazura.

"…Ten rounds left by my judgement." Hamazura gave his handgun a onceover. "If something weird happens, I'll cover you; lead the way." Touma nodded and the two made their day down the path, following the waterway closely.

But they didn't know that another figure was watching them.

* * *

 **Ominous... eh?**

 **Once more, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It's a little bit shorter than most, but what comes next should make up for that.**

 **Review at your leisure; I still adore feedback.**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	12. Wrath of the Betrayed

**Not much to say here... but afterward... is a different story.**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

The Berserker Asterios roared out as he swung his mighty blades. Artoria was flung to the side as she blocked the blow.

"Damn… that power-up he received really has made this more difficult…!" Artoria spoke as she moved to attack again. Berserker was quick to follow up his assault with a downward swing, but a Meltdowner beam suddenly burned his poleaxe in half, and left Artoria with an opportunity to strike, slashing Asterios across the chest. Berserker shrugged off the blow easily despite the damage and turned to face Mugino.

"Kinuhata!" Mugino called out.

"Got it!" Kinuhata suddenly tackled Berserker from behind and used her strength provided by Offence Armor to lift him up into the air, eventually falling backwards purposefully, suplexing the horned giant. Although this did little more than anger Berserker, it left him open to another sudden attack by Artoria, slashing him once more with her blade.

"Fucking hell… this meat-head knows how to take a hit…" Mugino cursed as she began to fire her Meltdowner rapidly. Berserker caught on to how damaging the green beams of light were and moved quickly to dodge each attack, and Artoria intercepted his movements to capitalize on his vulnerability, inflicting deep cuts with her shrouded sword.

But Berserker took hit after hit without slowing down; the only thing that seemed reasonable to put a dent in Berserker's rampage would be Mugino's Meltdowner, but he was dodging each beam.

Ruler made the move to gather both Takitsubo and Index, the two who couldn't directly participate in the fight, and took charge of defending them both. She watched the battle intently for any indication of an attack, but something broke her concentration.

"…The Assassin is on the move." Ruler stated.

"The Assassin was here!? That would have been good information!" Leivinia commented as her symbolic weapon turned into a disk and caused the earth below Berserker to suddenly shoot up and launch him into the air. Berserker seemed to recognize where the attack came from and leapt off the segment of rising dirt to try and attack Leivinia, but the disk turned into a sword and he was blasted back by a powerful blade made of air.

"He hasn't been participating in this battle… I didn't want to speak of him and risk setting him off. He appears to be going in a similar direction as Noellia was traveling." Ruler stated.

"Great; so he's going to go back that bitch up? Isn't that just LOVELY!?" Leivinia's sword shifted back into a wand and she unleashed a powerful wave of fire that slammed into and engulfed Berserker. The horned giant roared out in response and Leivinia clicked her teeth.

However, Berserker's roar suddenly ceased without warning, and he looked off down the alleyway Noellia had run down. His eyes were wide, and he suddenly leapt into the air, his remaining poleaxe vanishing, as he slammed into a building and rapidly began to climb, eventually leaping over the side and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, exiting the area.

"…Ok, what the fuck just happened…?" Mugino asked.

"Something bad must have occurred involving his master to trigger a reaction like that…" Artoria theorized.

"Shit… he might have sensed Kamijou and Hamazura fighting Noellia…!" Leivinia cursed as she ran ahead.

"Damn it all… Hamazura, you better not fucking die!" Mugino was next to run forward, and shortly after the rest of the group gave chase, save for Ruler who seemed more conflicted.

"…The longer I remain here… the more it becomes clear that something is not right… beyond the fact that someone caused a war rather than allowing it naturally." She spoke to herself. The feeling washing over her made it clear that the summoning of a Ruler was justified, but she couldn't figure out exactly how. Eventually, she decided to chase after Berserker as well, in the hopes that it would lead to some kind of answer.

 **-Unknown Location-**

Noellia coughed roughly as she pulled herself up from the river with her good hand. She had managed to grab ahold of a railing further downstream and used that to reach dry land once more. She rested on her back with her eyes closed as she breathed heavily. She eventually opened her eyes as her breathing calmed down and gazed at the well-lit sky; it couldn't have been much later than noon.

The pain of her pierced hand throbbed; the water couldn't have been good for it, but for some reason she didn't care. Her cheek was swollen as well, but this also didn't distract her in the slightest.

"…What the hell am I doing…?" Noellia spoke to no one particular. Her mind was a mess to say the least. Her thoughts turned to Touma's words to her; that she should return to the way she was before as a caregiver to children in the memory of those who had died. This led her down the path to the very night that she laid her trap for those chasing after her; the one that ultimately ended in the children's very deaths that haunted her to this very day. And then finally, she recalled more recent memories; her time spent with the Berserker Asterios.

She had to summon him in the forest due to the circumstances of the invasion, and the moment he appeared, Berserker had honestly terrified her. However, Berserker seemed to take more interest in the world around rather than his master. The trees, the grass, the bugs; Berserker spent a lot of time searching the forest looking for and playing with them all. Her fear quickly faded as she found the curious actions of her Servant to be rather cute; betraying the reputation of most Berserkers. She called the name Asterios and Berserker responded, approaching her once more, and from there they sealed the contract between them.

Shortly after that they had met Jonathan, who had yet to summon his servant, and became allies. Asterios seemed to take a liking to the city of London, though he caused trouble due to his curiosity. He mostly remained in spirit form, but the times he was physical he would go out of his way to take objects, studying them, and developed a keen love for food. Noellia provided as much as she could for her Servant, fascinated by Berserker's desire to learn.

Asterios was like a newborn experiencing the world for the first time, and it made her heart race each time she could provide new stimulation for him; for the first time in years she felt at peace. Though the nightmares of the past remained, she was able work through it all as she cared for Berserker.

"…Oh." She muttered to herself.

Despite her despair over the loss of the children she swore to care for, being completely intent on filling the void in her heart, she had already begun to care for another child in a sense. Even as guilt rocked her soul, she had seamlessly slipped back into the role of a mother without even realizing it.

"…The boy… he was right… wasn't he?" Noellia slowly sat up as she processed the information. She finally noticed the stinging pain from her cheek and right hand, though she didn't seem to care as she pushed herself to her feet. She was exhausted, injured, and wet. She looked around for a time before she turned completely around, beginning to walk back into the streets of London.

"…Would they really forgive me…? After that…?" She asked herself. She didn't know the answer, but part of her wanted to believe that it was true. She laughed lightly to herself as she walked. "…Let's go back to that… yes… back to that time. I missed that so much… Asterios… please come back to me… I…" She started to ramble as she resolved in her soul to return to that peaceful life she lived.

And in her heart, she thanked the Servant who made her question her path, and the boy who made her realize what she truly wanted.

She was able to walk about a block or two before someone turned the corner.

He had short white hair, very well taken care of, and piercing brown eyes. He wore an orange and red suit that looked to be from far in the past and white slacks to match. His hands were crossed behind his back, and seemed to be staring at Noellia intently.

"…Assassin?" Noellia called out, recognizing the man. He closed his eyes and lifted his hand into the air, evoking something with his next words.

" **Reign of Terror: Executioner's Trial."**

 **-Unknown Location-**

"…Huh? What… happened?" Noellia called out has her vision suddenly failed her. Slowly, what seemed like an old-style courtroom appeared. She was standing at a podium, with a jury to her right, and seating in several rows behind her.

Each seat was filled by men and women she couldn't recognize. The jury, while comprised of only men, was very much the same. There was only one person she could identify.

Assassin. And from the information provided by Jonathan, she knew his true name.

Maximilien Robespierre; a French lawyer and politician, one of the best known and most influential figures associated with the French Revolution and the famous "Reign of Terror," and was best known for establishing the execution of King Louis XVI, which led to the establishment of a French Republic, but during his time he was responsible for starting the movement that would end up sending over 10,000 people to their deaths in the National Assembly of France.

Though many refer to a shrouded man with an axe as an executioner, many attributed this status to Robespierre himself; many saying that seeing him in the court was equivalent to a death sentence before the trial had even started.

And now Noellia stood within Assassin's Noble Phantasm; a reality marble shaped in the form of the National Convention of the Revolution in which Assassin once proudly served.

Assassin frowned as Noellia asked where she was.

"Court is now in session." Assassin stated.

"Court…? What…? Assassin, what is this about!?" Noellia shouted, putting her hands on the railing of the podium.

"Listen carefully, because you're under suspicion of three charges." Assassin held up three fingers. "Here we will discover if you are Corrupt, Unjust, and Treacherous; these are the reasons you have been brought before this court today."

"This is… what the hell is this?" Noellia was growing more irritated. "This is your Noble Phantasm, isn't it!? Why are you using it on me!?"

"The situation deems it necessary…" Assassin closed his eyes. "You have met with a challenge to the very way you see the world, and I must assess if you are of sound mind and devote to our cause for justice."

Noellia bit her lip as Assassin opened his eyes once more.

"I will state this now; if you are innocent, I will not stand in the way of whatever path you choose. You can stay with us, or leave us; as long as you do not oppose us you will be free to do with your life as you please."

"And if I'm guilty…?"

"…I must apologize in advance; due to the nature of my Noble Phantasm, I am unable to call forth a priest to read you your last rights. I pray that whatever powers that be are able to guide your soul to the afterlife." Assassin replied. Noellia understood his words quickly.

A declaration of innocent would free her from this world.

A declaration of guilty would mean her death.

"…You don't do things halfway, do you?"

"I cannot afford to." Assassin replied with his arms crossed behind his back. "…Just as you could not afford to let those magi take you in to use your ability once more."

"…I never told you about that." Noellia's eyes narrowed.

"You are correct." Assassin replied. It was simple to understand; somehow this Noble Phantasm was able to pull memories from Noellia's mind and use them against her.

It was a courtroom alright; one completely stacked against her.

"You dirty…!" Noellia gripped the railing tightly.

"Your first charge is corruption," Assassin announced. "In your desire to be free of those who wanted to use your power; you developed strategy upon strategy to defeat them… you became obsessed; consumed by desire not only to free yourself, but to kill those who took the lives of your parents. It rattled in your mind festering endlessly, until your goal became killing every single one of them indiscriminately, and to your credit they deserved that fate… but your actions came at the price of innocent youths."

"I didn't want them involved!" Noellia shouted. "They were innocent; they didn't even know magic was real. I couldn't let the cabal get their hands on them… they would torment them; use them against me and the family I had made as weapons and kill them if I refused! The only way for us to be free was for them to be completely eliminated!"

"Perhaps, but this does not forgive you of your actions. You became blind to the risks; that the children you loved so dearly could be killed… that is why you are unjust." Assassin retorted. "You cared for over fifteen children of varying ages, the youngest being four, and the oldest of thirteen. Every single one of them died because of your actions; because of your obsession with killing your pursuers… even if your intentions were for their safety that does not free you from the responsibility of their deaths."

"It… wasn't fair to them… if was my fight! I tried to have them leave; even if it was just for a short time! The house would have been lost no matter what but we could always find another…!" Noellia cried out. "It… it shouldn't have ended like that…! If only they had listened to me…!"

"Your third charge is Treason, Noellia Revan." Assassin announced. "Is it true that you were planning on betraying me and my master's cause for justice? A permanent end to tragedies such as yours?"

"What… are you talking about?" Noellia stated.

"You were going to leave us," Assassin continued. "You were going to leave us behind to fight against the tides that oppose our goal."

"My departure has nothing to do with treason and you know it…!" Noellia gritted her teeth.

"If the boy that set you on this path asked for your help, would you lend him your aid?" Assassin asked.

"…I would; he managed to set me on the right path… how else could I repay his kindness?" Noellia replied.

"…Even if it was against us?" Assassin glared. "If the boy known as Kamijou Touma went to you to ask for aid, even if it was to attack and kill us, would you or would you not throw your support behind his cause and betray us!?"

Noellia was silent. She would help the boy who had managed to save her from herself if the boy asked, but the possibility of facing her former comrades hadn't crossed her mind.

It likely wouldn't happen; Noellia would take Berserker in to a new home; start up a new orphanage. Asterios would learn and interact like other children that would grow under her care, for as long as Asterios would be able to remain in this world. The possibility of Kamijou Touma finding her again was slim, and the chances of him asking for her help were even lower; Touma had the support of a Saber-Class servant already, and on the side of mages, he had access to powerful mages like Leivinia Birdway and others due to his reputation surrounding the various Churches in the Untied Kingdom.

The chance of Touma asking Noellia for help was nearly zero.

Noellia wanted to say no because of this, but Assassin would tear her answer apart in an instant.

Because in her heart, Noellia would betray her comrades to return the kindness she had been shown by Kamijou Touma.

"…Nothing left to say?" Assassin questioned.

"…Get on with it." Noellia replied in a somber tone. "If those are your three charges, let us end this trial already."

"As you wish…" Assassin closed his eyes. He had a disappointed look to him, something that made Noellia imagine that Assassin didn't actually want to do this, but he felt that it was necessary and that his duty to their goal was more important than his persona emotions.

She imagined that Assassin knew that the chances of the specific treasonous event was slim as well, but still felt that if there was even a remote chance of it, he must take action.

Maximilien Robespierre was known for his paranoia, after all. He would do whatever it took to make sure things went perfectly, even if the chance of failure was nearly zero.

"…What says the court!?" Assassin shouted, turning his attention to the jury to his left. The men of the jury began to speak amongst themselves for a time in hushed whispers. After a few moments, one of the members stood.

"We, the members National Constituent Assembly, have reached our Verdict." The man spoke. "We find Noellia Revan… guilty of all charges!" The remaining people in the convention hall started to speak out, repeating the ruling of guilty over and over again. This continued until Assassin uncrossed his hands from behind him, revealing a knife.

"I loathe the death penalty… but even I must admit in some cases it is necessary." Assassin stated. "This knife is my secondary Noble Phantasm… **La Grande Terreur** ; it can harness the instruments of execution in the forms of their usage, most significant of which is the Executioner's Axe, While rare… in some countries I have learned that a knife is a suitable tool to preform execution… how barbaric…"

"And you're telling me this because it's how I'm going to die, aren't you?" Noellia asked.

"…Do not struggle; I have no desire to inflict more pain upon you than what has already. If you do not resist, it shall be quick; that much I promise you." Assassin spoke with a sullen look. After a moment, Noellia closed her eyes.

"…Even if I am guilty, the worlds of that boy were right." Noellia spoke. "The children… they would understand… they would forgive me just as Kamijou Touma had… he assaulted me not as punishment for my actions… but to say those words to me; to make me understand… if they can forgive me, then I can forgive myself…"

Assassin threw his knife, flying straight toward Noellia. She didn't move… she was ready.

"…The one regret I have is that he will be so lonely now…" Noellia spoke as the knife began to rapidly change. "…My lovely Asterios… I am so very sorry… please… forgive me…!" tears began to fall from her eyes as she spoke.

The knife changed completely. It now held the blade of a guillotine.

All that could be heard was the distinct sound of metal severing flesh.

 **-London Streets-**

"Man… this river is long as hell… do you see anything yet!?" Hamazura shouted.

"Nothing… I see a few places where someone could climb out of the river though… think she could have the strength left to pull herself out of the current?"

"Maybe; I only shot her hand, but she got into a long-ass fight with Birdway; could go either way." Hamazura replied.

"Let's keep moving then!" Touma shouted back. They continued for a time until they found a bridge across the river. It also had a small area where someone could climb out, but the two weren't sure if they should divert from the river to check the area out or keep tracking the waterway.

Their decision was made when they saw Berserker leaping from building to building, landing on the other side of the bridge, and take a sudden turn down an alleyway just up the street.

"Hey! You two!" A voice called out, quickly revealing that it was Leivinia Birdway as the two turned. The rest of the girls were with them, with Ruler bringing up the rear. "Berserker suddenly just went crazy and took off; we think he's trying to find his master. Did you do anything to her?"

"Hamazura shot her hand and Kamijou punched her across the face; she fell into the river." Othinus poked her head out of Touma's coat pocket.

"…Gah! I keep forgetting you're in there!" Touma shouted.

"Complain all you want; having a front row seat to your actions is surprisingly exhilarating. " Othinus replied. Touma sighed and scratched his head.

"Berserker is more than likely pursuing his master… have you seen her since she went into the river?" Artoria asked.

"No… but if he crossed the street and took off into the alleyways over here… Noellia must have gotten herself out of the current… let's go." The two groups merged into one once more as they resumed tracking Berserker.

It didn't take very long as they found Berserker on his knees overlooking a body.

It was that of Noellia Revan. She wasn't moving, and she had a long, bloody cut across her neck. Berserker was tried to rouse the fallen magician, perhaps in some false hope that she was just asleep, but this was clearly not the case.

"…That's deep… not enough for a full decapitation, but enough to sever the spinal column… there's no way she could have survived…" Leivinia spoke slowly as she accessed the situation.

"Who… who the hell did this…!?" Touma spoke, clear anger in her voice.

"So many all at once… did it really take that long?" A voice called out; it belonged to a man standing a fair distance away from Noellia herself.

The Assassin.

"It didn't completely sever her head… I suppose the fact that the severity of the evidence in the trial does affect the severity of the injury… but it was still enough to end it regardless… it would have been disheartening if she had managed to live…" Assassin spoke.

"You… did this…?" Touma turned. "Why… why!? She didn't have to die!"

"I disagree; the chance of betrayal existed, so actions were taken to prevent such…" Assassin responded. "While I deal with those who could be considered scoundrels at this time, I will not stand for treason within my ranks. The path she was about to travel would have put her at odds my forces, and she very well could have revealed sensitive information we need kept in secret. Do not blame me; blame yourself for sending her down this path that led her to execution by my hand."

Touma's reaction was instant.

"YOU BASTAAAARRRRDDDDD!" Touma ran as fast as he could at the Assassin with a chambered punch. Robespierre formed the knife from before, but it suddenly shifted into the form of a large executioner's axe, which he promptly brought down upon Touma.

His right hand destroyed the weapon with ease, shattering it.

"Even a Noble Phan-" Assassin was cut-off as he was suddenly punched across the face, and was sent backward, slamming into a wall. His head snapped up and moved to avoid another attack from the enraged Kamijou.

"…Our next target is clear." Leivinia announced. Before she could act however, a compressed blast of air fired from a rooftop, striking the ground next to the blonde cabal boss.

Jonathan appeared, holding his blade once more. It would appear that he had an opportunity to use a healing spell on himself… but he was not alone; more magi appeared from the surrounding rooftops as well. They descended quickly; appearing eager to join the fight.

The group below knew they were there to support Assassin; Ruler clarified as such.

Minho was the Master of Archer, and Noellia was the Master of Berserker, so that left Jonathan as the Master of Assassin.

"Looks like we have company…!" Mugino cursed as she formed green orbs around her, ready to fire her Meltdowner once more.

"Damn it… Touma!" Artoria shouted as he was suddenly met with Jonathan's sword, forcing herself into a defensive stance.

"W-we have to help Touma! He can't beat a Servant on his own!" Index shouted as she began redirecting several spells.

"We don't have a super choice right now!" Kinuhata got into a defensive stance.

"Fuck you… fuck every last one of you pieces of shiitiiiittt!" Hamazura didn't care if he was almost out of ammo; he opened fire freely on the magi dropping from above.

Berserker let out a low growl as he slowly stood up. With his mask long since broken, those who could see his face saw tears. But this was quickly overlooked as he suddenly roared out and charged.

But not at the group behind him now forced into a defensive situation

But instead at the Assassin now fighting Touma.

Berserker roared out as he smashed his massive arm into Assassin's body, slammed him into a different wall as Touma was forced back.

"You…! Insolent…!" Assassin suddenly kicked Berserker in the stomach. "Don't you dare lie to me… you're already in the process of dying without mana to support you Berserker! Even if my strength stat is below yours, you can't fight at your maximum-" He was cut off as Touma restrained him from behind. A Servant's strength was too much for a normal human; the only reason Touma could damage them at all was because Imagine Breaker interfered with their spirit cores, but it could not negate their strength.

But all that was needed to be done was to distract Assassin for a brief moment, which is exactly what Touma's action did, as Berserker began to pummel Assassin with every ounce of strength he had left.

These two, equally upset by Noellia's death, had slipped into a united front quickly. Berserker had exhausted his mana with his travel here, and was quickly running out, but still had enough left to cause damage.

This continued until Touma was kicked across the head from behind, Minho suddenly appearing and his action freeing Jonathan's servant. Assassin formed another Executioner's Axe as he kicked Berserker's increasingly exhausted form back, and slashed him across the chest, cutting deep into the horned giant's skin as he was flung backward by the blow.

"Sorry I'm late… had a bit of an issue." Minho greeted.

"It is fine; your appearance is appreciated regardless." Assassin replied. "The chance of treason has been eliminated."

"Noellia huh… shit; that's a damper on things… how's Ruler?" Minho asked.

"Still alive, unfortunately. Support for her arrived far too quickly for their offensive efforts to efficiently execute her…" Assassin replied. "It is likely that my Noble Phantasm would be unable to find her guilty to justify an execution due to her status... and I would rather not dispose of her in such a way; her battle standard almost definitely signified that she is Jeanne D' Arc… I hope you understand."

"Yeah yeah… French hero and a saint… god damn it…!" Minho cursed. Slowly, Touma pushed himself to his feet and the two turned to face him.

"I'm… not going to let you… get away with this..!" Touma gritted his teeth. Minho clicked his teeth and Assassin moved to engage once more, leaping toward him.

Takitsubo, while being protected by the group, suddenly gasped.

"H-hey! Takitsubo! What's wrong!?" Hamazura asked as he was forced to pick up a stray crowbar to use as a weapon when his handgun ran out of ammo.

"The AIM signature… from that night is returning… quickly…!" Takitsubo gasped again. "It's too late! He's already here!"

A pitch black beam with a purple glow ripped the street in half, separating the Touma from Assassin and Minho. Assassin moved back, just barely dodging the attack, and looked up to a rooftop above. A lone figure stood above them.

Lazarus Wolfchild had appeared once more. He jumped down from his perch and landed with a loud crash, but his stance didn't shift in the slightest. He glanced at Noellia's body, and his shining blue eyes narrowed before looking up at Assassin and Minho with apparent fury.

"H-hey… he's back…!" One of the mages called out.

"W-what do we do? I don't know…" Another answered.

"We have to fight him right…? He'll stand against us and our goal-"

The last one didn't get to finish as all three were suddenly launched away by an invisible force.

It didn't take much to figure it out; even his incapability to speak couldn't hide it.

Lazarus Wolfchild was not a happy man.

"Shit… shit shit shit!" Minho cursed. "Assassin! Jonny! We gotta fucking go, now!"

"What about everyone-" Jonathan was cut-off.

"We don't have a god damn choice! If that fucker catches us we're dead!" Minho quickly moved to run and Assassin shifted into spirit form. Jonathan cursed and reluctantly disengaged from combat, quick to retreat with his Servant and Minho.

Lazarus moved to pursue, but several magi got in his way. Lazarus was quick to deal with them with the telekinetic power he possessed, and took off in the direction the retreating magi had fled.

The magicians never stood a chance; all they could do was delay Lazarus and give their allies more time. It wasn't long before Lazarus was gone; the only opposition left behind was the magi that had followed Jonathan into battle.

Against the group, they were devastated. Each one was defeated with care taken to make sure each one was alive.

Leivinia had plans of interrogation on her brain, as did several others.

"…Man, was a super depressing end. This sucks…" Kinuhata commented.

"One of the masters is out of the picture… in the long run that's a boon for us." Mugino commented.

"Now's not a good time to mention that, Mugino…" Hamazura stated. The Meltdowner stared at the dirty blond for a moment before she signed.

"Sorry… you're right; now's not the time." She crossed her arms.

"The Command Seals are gone… otherwise we could keep Berserker around by stealing them…" Leivinia spoke as Touma stood over Berserker's body. He was still corporeal, but not moving. Suddenly the horned man's lips moved.

And words of man flowed forth; not the words of a beast.

"…You… were with her…?" Asterios the Berserker asked, his mind clear of Mad Enhancement for a time, turning his head and opening his eyes to face Touma, who kneeled down next to him.

"Yeah… that's right." He replied.

"You… fought her…?" Berserker questioned.

"…Yeah." Was Touma's reply, unsure of what else to say. Silence followed for a moment.

"…You save her…?" Berserker asked. Touma paused for a moment.

"…Yeah; I saved her. I even everything I could…" Touma replied. He didn't know if Berserker somehow thought his master was still alive or not, or referring to her mental state, but Touma gave Berserker the answer he would have wanted to hear regardless.

"…That… good." Berserker slowly smiled. "She was… sad… in pain… but… she smiling now… she must be happy…" Touma didn't have the heart to reply this time. Berserker closed his eyes. "…My time of freedom… was nice… thank you…" Asterios' body began to dissolve, and it wasn't long before Berserker was gone. Slowly Touma stood up, taking a deep breath as he did so.

"Touma… what do we do now…?" Index asked. Touma's answer took a bit of time, but when he spoke he did so with confidence.

"We move on; there's no turning back now… I don't care who he is; that Assassin is not going to get away with this."

* * *

 **And here we are at the bottom once more!**

 **So our Assassin is Maximilien Robespierre, and as you have probably noticed, he doe snot exist in any form of the Fate fandom as a Servant... because he is an original Servant Developed for this story. My Proofreader/Editor Zeus designed him. For those interested for a full character sheet for him... I'll release it when the time is right.**

 **Alright, that's all from me. What do you guys think? Please review at your leisure and have a good day!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	13. Complicated

**Before we begin, I would like to talk about a little something in relation to the Assassin-Class Servant created for this story: Maximilien Robespierre.**

 **The user Saraak pointed out that Robespierre's Noble Phantasm as a similarity with another Servant's own Noble Phantasm, that Servant being Charles-Henri Sanson, another Assassin-Class Servant. The similarity is simple; both use the dreaded guillotine as a method execution. While Robespierre's NP focuses more on the trial leading up to one's death penalty, Charles-Henri Sanson focuses more on the act itself, but it is a similarity none-the-less. While I do think Robespierre's Noble Phantasm is different enough with its execution for him to stand on his own, I felt it was worth addressing. In addition, upon doing some research, I found some rather interesting stuff that I would like to share.**

 **Maximilien Robespierre was the one who tried Louis XVI and got his death sentence, and Louis XVI was the husband of Marie Antoinette. Louis was executed in January of 1793, while Marie was executed the same year in October, and they were BOTH executed by Charles-Henri Sanson. However, it appears that Robespierre was not involved with Marie Antoinette's trial, so the only link is that Robespierre has the majority of the responsibility for Marie's husbands death sentence.**

 **I bring this up because of the Fate/Grand Order game, which has released in North America recently, and those familiar with the France Arc in that game probably remember Marie Antoinette being featured there, and they might be able to recall Charles as well, and I figured those who remember Marie fondly may like some additional facts, because this is something you wouldn't ordinary know unless you researched France's history.**

 **That's all I'd like to share; I hope you all found that as interesting as I did.**

 **But enough with the History lesson; we have a story to tell! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"…So Berserker and his master are dead." Sage spoke as he sat down in a secluded room. The window was open and a small grey dove flew into the room, and shortly after Sage understood everything. "Her doves are quite lovely… as well as useful… I should really prepare something to thank Caster for her efforts when we have the time."

"It must be handy being able to recall what they have seen and heard; the powers of a druid are not wasted upon you." Albert spoke. "If what you say is true, compounded with the evidence before… then Minho's current group has likely been dealt a serious blow."

"From the sound of things, Noellia Revan had already been defeated prior to Assassin's involvement, and on top of that, they lost most of their forces to Birdway's associates… their faction would now be barely a threat if not for their Servants." Sage stated.

"So now is the time to strike…correct?" Albert asked.

"Not immediately… Minho and his knowledge are indeed a threat to be dealt with, but we must act with a careful hand… If we strike him now, other forces will notice our action and could attack us in return… we should avoid direct purposeful confrontation until Caster is done crafting her Noble Phantasm." Sage replied.

"I suppose so… it would be much more difficult to counter attack us within it… sound judgement." Albert nodded in agreement.

"The Ruler however, is an issue… but that can be ignored for the time being; it would have been fortunate if Minho's forces had managed to remove her from the conflict, but what's done is done." Sage stroked his beard lightly.

"Indeed… what should we do next then? Shall we remain silent until Caster is finished?" Albert asked.

"Once again, I must respond in the negative, my friend." Sage replied. "It has been so long… I wonder if these old bones can handle an airplane ride…"

"…Pardon?" Albert asked in confusion.

"Allow me to explain; what makes Minho dangerous is his knowledge… he could find another cabal in which to use the spell to make seven more servants, and we currently do not know if two Grail Wars can or cannot be operated simultaneously. But I have an idea…" Sage slowly stood up, grabbing his wooden cane in order to keep balance. "Not too long ago… there was the Illegal Grail War, as you are aware, and it was worthy of note not only because of its location in Academy City… but the fact that it was forced as well… Minho may have very well gained the knowledge needed for his spell form the City of Science itself…"

"…I see." Albert stood. "When do we depart?"

"It should be rather easy to convince anyone in our way to let us board an airline… and much harder to track than Rider's Noble Phantasm… gather your Saber and I shall bring my Rider… our next stage of our operation begins in Academy City."

 **-Unknown Location-**

Minho stood over a sink in his current hideout. He had suddenly become ill during their retreat from Lazarus, a feat that just barely worked due to Minho's skill with illusionary tactics, but the sickness that had racked Minho's body only grew worse.

He was now coughing up blood.

"C-christ…!" Minho breathed heavily. "The cough is bad enough… but internal bleeding…? Fuck… did Lazarus do something?" He continued to breathe heavily as he was given a sudden reprieve from his coughing fit.

But he still felt weak; something was definitely wrong. Hoping that his sudden condition wouldn't cause an incident for a moment, he walked outside of the bathroom to take a look at his Spirit Board.

It showed two servants, Rider and Saber, currently residing in an area Minho recognized as an airport. He couldn't tell where but they were definitely seeking an escape, otherwise there would be little need to visit such a place.

"Damn it all… those must be from the big faction… they're leaving London? What the hell…!?" Minho cursed, and suddenly began coughing again. No blood this time, but it was still painful. "God… fucking…! What the hell is wrong with me…?"

He heard a giggle from behind. It wasn't long before Archer had changed into a physical form, sitting on a table.

"I know something you don't know~" Archer spoke sweetly.

"…What? Did I bleed over myself or something?" Minho asked.

"…Well… yeah… but that's not it!" Archer replied as she swung her legs back and forth.

"…Well say it already before I cough up a lung." Minho spoke in an irritated tone.

"You're not going to like it… but an order from my master is an order after all" Archer leaned forward a bit. "You know that the Greater Grail needs a Lesser Grail to connect with our world… right?"

"No shit; get to the interesting part." Minho replied. Archer seemed to smile.

"The Lesser Grail requires a proper vessel… sometimes its prepared beforehand, sometimes someone or something is transformed into one…" Archer spoke. "My guess… is that while this spell can force a Grail War… it cannot forge a Lesser Grail… and it may instead select one of its participants and forcefully alter their body to make them an acceptable host for the Lesser Grail."

"…Gee, oh great Euryale, please elaborate for this simple moron so he can learn who has been cursed to play such a terrible role!" Minho practically breathed sarcasm as he spoke. Archer giggled in response.

"It's you."

"…Hold on, what?" Minho blinked.

"The procedure you described to me… you had the members of the Solution to Nothingness funnel their mana into you in order to cast the spell… did you not?" Archer spoke. "My theory is that you, being the caster of such a powerful magic, was selected… as one who could use such an ability could be the only one worthy of becoming a Lesser Grail."

"…So, when Berserker died…"

"His spirit became one with you…" Archer explained. "Heroic Spirits are quite incompatible with the human body… it will erode your organs and reduce your strength… soon you will be unable to stand up for yourself… yes; I'd say that maybe you would be able to last for only two more Servant's… after that, you will die, and your remains will fully transform into the Lesser Grail."

Archer really didn't care about the Grail; there was nothing major she wanted.

All she wanted was to play with the mortal races once more, sending them to their doom as she had done for so long.

This was all a game to her; as long as she could break the spirit of a man and bathe in their despair, Euryale didn't care if she lived or died.

So she broke the news to her master upfront, waiting eagerly for his breakdown; how Minho would tear himself apart upon learning that he was doomed to die.

Her wish didn't come true.

"Ah… so that's it, huh…" Minho rubbed his neck. "…So the internal bleeding is just the spirit rebelling against my human form… makes sense I guess."

"…Is that… really your reaction to that…? You're going to die... this isn't a joke." Archer blinked with disbelief.

"…You were looking forward to seeing me snap, weren't you?" Minho grinned. "What a terrible little girl~"

"Don't you dare mock me…" Archer puffed out her cheeks with apparent frustration, but eventually looked away in disappointment. "…You caught me. Congratulations."

"Eh… don't feel so bad… life has done similar tricks to me… been at death's door a lot; you're going to have to try harder than that!" Minho stated. "Although… certain death does put a damper on things… oh well."

"Couldn't you have at least acted devastated? Seriously…" Archer sighed.

"…This actually sounds familiar, now that I think about it." Minho coughed for a moment before resuming his conversation. "Ever heard of Telesma?"

"Telesma?" Archer cocked her head to the side with confusion.

"Yeah… easy version is that it's the power of Christian Angels." Minho began. "It rejects the human body really bad, but some more skilled mages can summon Telesma intentionally outside their bodies to cause explosive results, but if it gets channeled inside… your body isn't going to like it."

"How bad is the rejection?" Archer now seemed genuinely interested.

"Really bad… get too much and you'll start bleeding internally… eventual organ failure… and death; the energy is really incompatible with humans. A guy by the name of William Orwell lost his abilities as a Saint when he took in too much during that whole World War Three incident." Minho explained.

"Sounds horrid… it also sounds very similar to the human body's rejection of Heroic Spirits…" Archer commented.

"Yeah… it does… doesn't it…?" Minho replied slowly, looking away as something clicked in his mind.

"…Did we have the same idea? Please tell me we had the same idea just now." Archer pleaded as a grin formed in her face.

"…Yeah… yeah! If they have the same reaction… just how similar are they…!?" Minho questioned. "I really suck at summoning Telesma, but manipulating it is a different story entirely…!"

"Well then… what does that mean for us?" Archer's grin widened.

"…Have Jonathan and Assassin tail the Saber and the Rider as soon as possible; they should be resting in the other room." Minho stated. "Give him the spirit board; it'll be a lot more useful for him… we need to know what those two and their masters are up to."

"Of course… I assume you have a plan then…?" Archer asked.

"You bet your tiny ass I do…!" Minho replied. "If I've been chosen by the grail to house its power… let's explore every single possibility and see just what the Holy Grail can REALLY do…!"

Euryale the Archer smiled wide. All she wanted was to see was mortals self-destruct, either because of her or otherwise.

She didn't get her wish before, but she would now.

Minho would self-destruct in the most spectacular manner imaginable. Would he fail his attempts to tame the wild energy of the fallen Heroic Spirits and curse the world with his final breaths? Or would he succeed, and go mad with power as he goes out of his way to cause widespread chaos and destruction?

She didn't care which; it would be spectacular either way.

She didn't care what happened from here on out.

She didn't care who got in their way or how.

She didn't care what she had to do, even if it were to become Minho's lover.

She would stick through this until the end to witness the fireworks caused by her master and his ambitions. She smiled gleefully just thinking about it.

"Come on now… we have some time before Jonathan gets back… we have some time to experiment a little bit!"

Archer followed Minho without a second thought.

"Of course, my master…"

 **-Shirou and Rin's Apartment, Same Time-**

"That's… really a nasty way for things to end…" Shirou commented. The group had made their way back in less than stellar spirits. Shirou immediately picked up on the somber tone and asked what was wrong, but Touma dodged the question by asking if he could borrow their shower, saying he needed some time to himself. Shirou was confused, but agreed, hoping it would improve his friend's mood.

He and Rin had just finished hearing the story.

"So… he was in such a bad mood because…" Rin processed the information logically as she heard it with a frown.

"Good; you understand, now stop talking about it." Leivinia commented in an annoyed tone.

"…Why did you even come back here? You could have gone back to your cabal to strategize…" Rin asked. "…Or are you suddenly worried about Kamijou-san, hmm?" She continued with a devilish look, mocking the small blonde cabal boss.

"Shut it Thighs. Don't act like you know a god damn thing about what's rolling through my head right now." Leivinia turned and shouted.

"Ugh… still with the weird nickname…" Rin grumbled. "…How about you Ruler? You came back too."

"…Because Noellia Revan was after me, I feel partly responsible for the situation involving Kamijou Touma." Ruler replied. "I will return to my duties in time… but I feel it would be best to make sure the boy is alright… I would be ashamed if he was negatively impacted because of me."

"…Responsibility of his involvement is mine." Artoria stated. "You do not need to judge yourself harshly; I led him into combat after all." There was a short silence in the room.

"Alright… So; one of our opponents is… dealt with." Mugino commented. "What now? Did you find anything out before all this shit went down?"

"…Yeah; I got some stuff." Leivinia sighed. "Minho researched the spell from the leftover magic circles from the Illegal Grail War incident… but he also found something peculiar… turns out someone overlaid a curse on top of the spell, in addition to evidence of an outside force greatly influencing the spell's activation."

"An… outside force caused the spell to succeed…?" Rin questioned. "Who… could have done that?"

"No idea; Minho was nowhere in the area when it went down according to the notes we salvaged, and even if he was, he lacks the magic power to force the war; he needed the entirety of Solution to Nothingness' support to pull it off…" Leivinia stated. "I tried back-tracing Hayden Avalon to see if he might have had any outside support, but all I could find was that he was a figure in the Roman Catholic Church, serving under Terra of the Left for a time, and suddenly went missing after the World War Three incident… he dropped off the grid completely and only reappeared around the time of the Illegal Grail War."

"…What about this curse? Can you tell us about it as well?" Artoria asked.

"Sure can… it's nature isn't very special though; it's along the lines of anti-summoning stuff." Leivinia commented. "A lot of people will summon familiars, but powerful ones require incantations and powerful magic set-ups; this curse overlaid on top of it is designed to cause vulnerability in whatever is called forth. Like, if someone were to summon a dragon but someone else found out, they could overlay the curse on the magic circle with the inscription, "Those called forth by this seal shall be killable by fire," or something to that affect. But the fact that they were able to craft it so that it could affect heroic spirits… a seriously powerful mage must have been involved… much greater than whoever Hayden was…"

"…And what was the inscription on the magic circle used to cause the Illegal Grail War?" Artoria questioned once more.

"It read, "Those called forth by this seal shall be wounded by weaponry of any age or quality, as long as it is held by the hands of man." Basically, Servants called by the Grail were vulnerable to typical man-made weaponry, even firearms more than likely." Leivinia explained.

"…So that's why…" Artoria thought on the situation in Academy City where she had been shot and damaged. "What is the status of this curse?"

"Irrelevant," Leivinia stated. "If you've made contact with Kamijou's right hand, the curse has been broken. Doesn't matter when or how… you're probably already free from it because of Imagine Breaker's power."

"I see…" Artoria replied.

"…Ah shit… this isn't right? Talking about plans and shit while he's off wallowing on his own." Hamazura suddenly spoke. "I wonder if he really is ok… he said he's fine but still… shit; never seen him get that pissed off before…"

"…I hope he's ok…" Index spoke. Othinus sat on her head and was otherwise silent. "That must have been difficult… all of that…"

"…His goal has been to save those in need… seeing someone he helped pass on in front of him must have been devastating…" Artoria spoke solemnly. The three shifted their gazes to the bathroom door as their minds wandered, hoping that the Unlucky Kamijou would somehow snap out of the mood he was trapped in.

Suddenly, there was a loud violent sounding crash coming from the bathroom, followed by a loud shout, evident of pain, and it clearly belonged to Touma.

"…The hell?" Hamazura asked.

"…Think maybe we have been found out?" Artoria asked. "An odd place to attack from if so…"

"Oh no…! Someone from the group we fought before might have hung-back and tailed us… attacking one of us when we're vulnerable…!" Index shouted.

"…He probably just super fell in the shower." Kinuhata chimed in.

"We don't know that for sure! I'll go check!" Index shot up running over to the bathroom.

"Hold on… I think you're just over-reacting…" Hamazura scratched his head.

"…I already know where this is going…" Leivinia commented, supporting her head with one hand.

"Same here… count me in!" Kinuhata moved toward the door next.

"Hey! You were the voice of reason here!" Hamazura shouted.

"I know; I just want to see how super ridiculous it is!" Kinuhata giggled as she followed behind Index.

"…Not going to check on him?" Rin questioned Artoria.

"…Don't reduce your expectations of me to the point that you assume I would behave like a peeping tom just to satisfy my curiosity…" Artoria answered.

"…Even if you actually want to lo- ow ow ow! Quit it!" Rin cried out as Artoria pinched Rin's cheeks and pulled.

"He will be fine; when he is properly dressed I will tend to his wounds properly, now drop it." Artoria spoke, pulling on the magus' cheeks repeatedly.

"…Not sure if Artoria-san is being a tsundere… of if Tohsaka-san is pulling for something that isn't there…" Hamazura commented.

"…Not sure… evidence exists for both sides… it could go either way." Takitsubo replied in her usual monotone voice. Hamazura rubbed his girlfriend's back lightly and she responded by scooting closer to Hamazura and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"…I do not sense a servant… but are you sure he will be ok?" Ruler asked.

"He'll be fine… this is similar to situations he usually finds himself in." Hamazura replied. Index was looking at the door, checking it carefully, but seemed hesitant to open it up with Othinus patiently waiting on top of the girl's head.

"Don't mind me; go ahead and super open it up." Kinuhata stood behind Index, waiting patiently.

"Alright… Touma! Are you ok!?" Index called out as she forced the door open. Inside a figure was sprawled out and mostly covered by the shower curtain that would ordinarily be hanging around the bath tub. Several cleaning products lay on the floor and on the body of the person. The figure slowly rose up and pulled the shower curtain off himself, revealing it to be Touma.

There was also a lone bar of soap on the boy's head; if Kamijou Touma's track record of misfortune were to be believed, that bar was more than likely the culprit behind the unlucky Kamijou's sudden fall.

"…Close the door!" Touma shouted.

"Y-yes! Sorry for the intrusion!" Index slammed the door, her face beet red. She held the handle for a few moments, breathing heavily.

Kinuhata however was rolling on the ground laughing.

"H-holy shit…holy shit!" Kinuhata slowly calmed herself. "He super slipped on a god damn bar of soap and took out the entire curtain line, and ended up super taking all of the shampoo and shit with him!" She resumed laughing and rolling for a bit as the mental image reappeared.

"That bastard…! All of that was new!" Rin clenched a fist tight as Shirou tried to calm her down.

"…See anything you like, you little pervert?" Mugino asked.

"Hah… hah… nothing special… the shower curtain was super covering up his junk… still; he's not badly built if that's what you were asking…" Kinuhata whipped away a tear from her eye.

"…Guh…!" Index held her head; she was still blushing madly. "This is just the usual situation for stupid Touma… but I walked in on him this time! What do I do since it was my faaaauuullllttt!?" She fell to her knees in apparent despair.

"Quit your belly-aching. If you see something you like you should just be honest." Othinus spoke.

"J-just because you liked it doesn't mean I did you pervert!" Index shot back.

"…Listen, I understand wanting to keep your preferences unknown as well as the next human… but I'm not going to sit here and let you lie to me like that." Othinus stated. It was notable that the tiny Magic God didn't attempt to disagree with Index's accusation, and shortly after the two began to argue.

"…And now we've come full circle." Leivinia took a sip of tea.

 **-10 Minutes Later-**

"…Sorry again for the bathroom…" Touma sighed. Othinus now sat comfortably on the male's left shoulder.

"It's fine… it'll just be annoying to fix…" Rin sighed too, rubbing her head.

"So… what did I miss?" Touma asked.

"Not a whole lot; as far as we can tell there hasn't been any movement… least none that Jeanne has been able to detect." Hamazura responded.

"I see… I guess that's good." Touma took a drink of some water.

"…Touma…" Index called out, tugging on the Unlucky Kamijou's sleeve. "Are… you ok?"

"Yeah; I'm fine." Touma replied.

"Are you sure? Absolutely sure?" Index pressed the topic.

"Yeah I'm sure; what's gotten into you?" Touma seemed confused.

"…Touma, after the events of today… you seemed more than distraught," Artoria spoke up. "She's… we're worried about you; we saw how you reacted… if you need to talk, we will listen. If you say that you're alright, we'll accept that… but are you truly ok…?"

Touma paused for a moment before responding.

"…Physically, I'm fine but… if you were to ask if I'm angry or not..." Touma trailed off. "…Of course I am, who wouldn't be? She was someone who intended to do good, and was led astray by a horrific event, and all I was trying to do was to set her straight again; who wouldn't be angry after finding out that she was killed right after deciding to live her life like she really wanted?"

"You don't need to beat yourself up about that, Touma… no one knew…" Index spoke up.

"I'm not." Touma was quick to reply. "I'm angry alright, but I'm more saddened than anything. Sure, I keep asking myself if there was something else I could have done to end things without her having to die… but after we fought and she fell into that river, it was out of my hands. I wanted to save her, and that bastard thought that just because she decided to return to her peaceful life that she had to die so he could save his own skin? That me trying to put her on the path she really wanted all along was wrong? I'm not going to stand for that; I'm not going to be satisfied until I've given him a piece of my mind… and until his face hits the ground."

"…If you're going to hunt down that asshole to sock him, count me in." Hamazura spoke up. "That guy was a class-A piece of shit. I might not have had the connection you had to Noellia, but I can see what you're saying; you were trying to save her and this dick-bag shows up and says, "No," and kills her, saying it was your fault? Not a god damn chance; I'm not going to let him pull a stunt like that and walk away."

"…That's all I needed to hear." Shirou joined the conversation. "If you're going all-in with this, I'm backing you up, and I'm not taking a "no" for an answer, you got it?"

"Just as before… my blade is yours Touma. Simply direct me to your enemies and I will make quick work of them." Artoria stated.

"Well… if both of them are joining up… count me in." Rin added. "Classes are done, so there's nothing left to hold us back. Let's teach these bastards a lesson they'll never forget!"

"…Mugino, what's your opinion?" Kinuhata asked.

"…This Assassin guy… he has one of Minho's associates as the master… so if they're chasing after Assassin, their chasing after a direct line to the bastards front door." Mugino stated. "So we kick the shit out of Assassin, capture the master, and break his balls until he tells us where he is."

"Sounds like super old times… let's do it!" Kinuhata cheerfully agreed. "Besides… someone has to support Takitsubo as she chases after Hamazura."

"…Excuse me, I don't wish to interrupt, but does anyone here have any Holy Water?" Ruler suddenly spoke up.

"…Hold on… I needed some for a spell awhile back…" Rin went looking through a chest she had in the room, pulling out a small glass bottle. "Here; why do you need it?"

"It's just necessary." Ruler answered as she took the bottle and opened it. She poured it out into her palm and cast the Holy Water out, and the droplets began to move on their own, eventually forming a full 3D map of the city of London, with several moving blips visible in the air above. They had class-names above them, two in far front reading as Saber and Rider, while one behind reading Assassin.

"…Hey, just a question, but those dots… are those Servants?" Hamazura asked. Ruler seemed surprised by Hamazura's skill in deduction, as she didn't inform anyone of this particular power granted to her, and nodded. "…Ah damn… those guys are going fast… with speeds like that… they'd have to be on supersonic jets… must be different flights though…"

"Hold on… Supersonic jets? You mean the same ones that only go to and from Academy City…!?" Leivinia questioned.

"…Ah shit, you're right!" Hamazura cursed at the realization. "These jackasses are going to take this war of theirs back to Academy City!?"

"…I just need to get Mark and we can go." Leivinia hopped up on her feet and pulled out her cell phone.

"Hold on, why do you suddenly want in on this?" Rin asked.

"One; cause Assassin's master works with Minho like the number four mentioned, and two my little sister is recovering in a hospital in Academy City! Like hell am I going to let them cause an incident there!" Leivinia dialed a number on her phone and began speaking to someone.

"…Well boss, what are we doing?" Hamazura asked.

"…What does it look like?" Touma replied. "We're heading home."

* * *

 **And So, it looks Like we will be revisiting Academy City again... but for how long? Only time will tell...**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure; I enjoy hearing feedback. Have a good day!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	14. The Return

**And here we are at chapter 14. Not much to say this time, my friends.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"…Didn't think we'd find ourselves back here this soon." Shirou commented as the group exited the Academy City airline terminal.

"Neither did I… it hasn't changed much… though it feels like a lot more mana is in the air." Rin added to the conversation.

"…There was that incident involving Magic Gods I told you about… their essence may still be lingering in the city because of how powerful they were." Touma stated.

The group now consisted of Touma, Index, Othinus, Leivinia, Mark, Shirou, Rin, Saber, Hamazura, Takitsubo, Mugino, and Kinuhata. The Ruler, Jeanne D' Arc, decided to stay behind in the United Kingdom and observe the Grail War as it developed, as well as look further into the ongoing situation.

"So we're super back… what's next on our agenda then?" Kinuhata stretched as the group walked.

"Well… we're behind the enemy by a few hours or so… We can't make much of a move without tracking them down, right?" Takitsubo answered.

"Well I have an idea for something in the meantime…" Hamazura spoke. "First, I need to restock on some ammo, but more importantly… I noticed these Servants are tough… really tough. But I have an idea involving about two tons of metal; I just need to go pick it up."

"…You know, without that curse Birdway mentioned, Servants won't be vulnerable to typical firearms or tools, right? They'll just shrug it off like it was nothing." Rin spoke. "I'm surprised Esper abilities are effective against them, honestly…"

"It's probably the differences of the laws involved with magic spells and Esper power; it must confuse the spirit core enough to allow damage… but that's just a theory. It'd take some research to find out anything worthy of note." Leivinia shrugged.

"I know; even if it doesn't work how I think it will, I can still use it against the masters we have running around." Hamazura stated. "Have some faith in us shitty level 0's, why don't you?"

"…I guess if you think it'll help…" Rin wasn't convinced, but shrugged her shoulders and went along with it anyway.

"All we can do is fan out and search huh…" Index spoke. "…The mana in the air will make it more difficult; ordinarily it would be easy to track a magician due to the lack of mana in the city… but thanks to those Magic Gods…"

"Kamisato's faction doesn't help things… they're probably still in the city too… and there are some magicians in his ranks..." Touma spoke.

"What's the plan, human?" Othinus spoke.

"…I need to pay Tsuchimikado a visit." Touma stated. "He'll have a good idea for how to move… plus I need a favor from him."

"…If you're going near that one, I'll stay over here." Othinus jumped off Touma's shoulder onto Index's head. "I don't trust that lying cheat…"

"Its fine, it's probably best if I see him alone anyway…" Touma remarked. "…Index, you and Artoria can search around; I'll try to meet up with you both later, ok?"

"I will keep them safe in your stead." Artoria agreed.

"Hamazura is super going to go find something… everyone else is splitting off to go searching… what do we do then?" Kinuhata asked with her hands behind her head.

"All we can do is search too… we know what the guy we're after looks like." Mugino stated. "The other two may be a problem but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"That guy… Lazarus appeared before. With his ability to fly, he very well may get involved too." Takitsubo spoke.

"Sure he can fly, but is he really just going to super soar over the wall? All the way from the United Kingdom?" Kinuhata replied. "Even if he super pulls it off, Academy City will be all over his ass the moment he tries it."

"…He does seem like a problem; don't rule that out." Mugino stated. "Hamazura can handle himself, let's our own job done."

The group then split off. Hamazura and Touma traveled alone, while the remaining four teams divided up to search the city.

 **-A Certain Apartment Complex-**

"Hey, Tsuchimikado! Open up!" Touma beat on his neighbor's door repeatedly. "I can hear your TV; I know you're in there!"

"Hold on Kami-yan…" The door slid open and Touma's sunglasses wearing friend stuck his head out. "Just been marathoning the new game… ah, did you finally swing by to see how far I got? I bet you still don't have it yet, nya!"

"It's not about that!" Touma shouted. "Listen, just let me in, will you? I can't talk out here."

"…I don't know… I know Birdway was around you, and I don't trust her one bit, nya…"

"That's pure irony coming from you…" Touma leaned in close. "Listen; I just got back from the United Kingdom, and a lot is going down right now and it looks like it's spreading here… I just need a small favor…"

"Alright, alright… come on in." Tsuchimikado pulled back to allow Touma entry into his neighbor's apartment. It was very clean and tidy, more than likely because of the efforts of Tsuchimikado's step-sister, Maika, who was training to be a maid.

"Thanks… hopefully it'll be quick." Touma sighed.

"So… status of the war…?" Tsuchimikado asked with a grin on his face.

"…I figured you would have known…" Touma rubbed his neck. "…One pair is down, but three of them are here in the city, and I really don't know why yet. I was hoping you might know something."

"…Not much sadly." Tsuchimikado shrugged. "I knew what happened because of that incident yesterday in the middle of London, word travelled fast because of that. They found out there was a Grail War going on, and all kinds of political chaos roll on in. If it wasn't for the confirmation that the Solution to Nothingness was behind it, there would be a witch hunt to find out who started it."

"Damn… so you probably don't know where the three pairs would be..." Touma scratched his head.

"You know… you could just call the golden king and have him solve things for you. You have those fancy command seals for a reason after all, nya!" Tsuchimikado suggested.

"That wouldn't go that smoothly and you know it…" Touma sighed. "…Listen, you used some fake skin before, you wouldn't happen to have any more, would you?"

"It won't stop Imagine Breaker from destroying the seals, nya."

"It's not about that…" Touma replied. "These guys… they mean serious business… one of their Servants already noticed I have command seals and I want to keep that as low key as possible… who knows how some of the others would react… can you help me?"

"I suppose… them finding out you're a master would get some rather inconvenient attention…" Tsuchimikado thought out loud. "…If I do it, we're all square for the School Garden dupe I pulled on you; fair?"

"That's fine, work your magic." Touma replied. Tsuchimikado grinned and led Touma into his bathroom.

 **-Academy City Streets-**

District nineteen. A declining area mostly used for storage; aside from a few industrial based businesses there was little reason for most to come to this location.

This fact is why the mage Hayden Avalon used it as a base of operations.

His mark on the world was still left behind inside a mostly destroyed warehouse.

The Sage of the Wildwood was inside this structure, studying away at the mysterious magician's work, while Albert Radcliff patrolled the district.

"…Saber went off somewhere." Albert commented as he walked. "…Her personality is not efficient, but her strength is effective. In this case, I believe letting her do as she pleases for the time being would be best to keep her mood in check… hopefully she stays under control." He mumbled to himself as he moved.

Suddenly he noticed someone behind him. He turned and the person was gone, but the feeling of being watched remained. Albert narrowed his eyes and suddenly broke off into a sprint.

He was being followed; under no circumstances could he allow Sage to be found. He managed to cross into district six by moving south, but his pursuer remained on his tail. Albert paused for a moment before suddenly turning and unleashing a massive fireball behind him.

A sudden blast of freezing cold air met the flames and the two attacks canceled each other out.

"I am facing south, so Boreas of the north's cold winds will be my weapon…" Jonathan stood a fair distance away, staring Albert down.

"…Boreas represents the freezing cold winds that travel south from the north." Albert stated. "A weapon that unleashes an attack depending on the direction of the user can be useful, but is prone to manipulation to those who can understand its concepts… inefficient."

"Oh yeah…? How so?" Jonathan aimed his blade at Albert.

"Your attack can alter others based on temperature manipulation… so I will use an attack that ignores the concept of temperature." Albert thrust his hands forward and bolts of lightning erupted from the man's fingers. Jonathan saw the movement and moved to the side just in time to dodge the near instantaneous attack. He swung his sword and unleashed another blast of freezing cold wind, but Albert countered it with another fireball.

"…Elementalist, huh? That's going to be a pain…" Jonathan clicked his teeth.

"Call forth your Servant." Albert ordered. "I have neither little desire nor the time to spare for games."

"…Master, a Servant is in the area, it is likely a trap." Assassin spoke in Jonathan's mind.

"Getting around him will be difficult then… if his Servant is watching overhead… even you sneaking around won't help." Jonathan replied.

"…I need to lead him astray…" Albert reasoned. Suddenly water erupted from the man's palms and shot him into the air. Albert altered the trajectory with his hands and shot himself over a building, escaping the encounter.

"Hey! Get back here you bastard!" Jonathan was quick to move to take to the air to follow, but a blade made of compressed air suddenly erupted from an alleyway, slashing Jonathan's shoulder with ease.

"…So he got away… oh well; I'll accept one prize." Leivinia Birdway strolled out of the alley and stood proudly with a brown sword in her hand.

"Damn it all… not now…!" Jonathan cursed.

"Minho isn't here to save your sorry ass this time. So you're going to be a good boy, and surrender quietly… or else I'll be dragging you back to the United Kingdom personally."

"…Not a chance. Assassin!" Jonathan called out. Assassin appeared behind the blonde cabal boss wielding a large executioner's axe, swinging it down on Leivinia. She however was able to quickly dodge the sudden attack with an intentional use of her sword to launch herself with a blast of wind.

"Blatant use of magic and Servants in broad daylight… your entire faction just loves tearing apart the rules society has built, doesn't it?" Leivinia smirked, not even slightly fazed by the sudden assault.

"…What direction do you face, Master?" Assassin asked.

"…East, which means Zephyrus of the west fructifying wind now guides my blade… sorry; but the power will only aid Leivinia Birdway in a situation like this." Jonathan replied.

"Then support me with your standard magic then… I shall deal with this girl myself." Assassin boasted, stepping forward.

"Ballsy fucker, aren't you. I hope you won't take it easy on me because I'm an adorable girl." Leivinia aimed her blade at Assassin.

"On the contrary; I have no choice but to inflict a light punishment upon you… for I shall end your life in only a single strike." Assassin shot forward with his axe in hand, aiming to cleave Leivinia in two. The blonde cabal boss dodged, keeping distance away. Assassin noticed that his master didn't follow up with an assault of his own, and turned to look.

Jonathan was suddenly attacked by Mark Space, who struck the magician from behind. Jonathan was quick to retaliate, but was still recovering from the sudden strike. Assassin narrowed his eyes in anger.

"How sad… take your eyes off your master, and he gets punished… but take your eyes off me, and I'll kill you from behind… what will you do?" Leivinia stood ready.

"…I shall eliminate you, and then I will return to my master's side." Assassin remarked.

"Do… what you need to do! I'll be fine! Use it!" Jonathan cried out.

"…As you command." Assassin raised his axe into the air as he spoke a short phrase.

" **Reign of Terror: Executioner's Trial!"**

A bright light erupted from Assassin's body and it did not stop until it had engulfed Leivinia Birdway in its embrace.

 **-Unknown Location-**

"…Reality Marble…?" Leivinia questioned. She now stood in the same courtroom where Noellia Revan once tried to defend herself. "…So this is how you killed Noellia."

"There will not be an escape for you." Assassin stated plainly. "Here, I will confirm that you are Corrupt, Unjust, and Treacherous, and end your life accordingly. Do try put up a defense… it would be boring otherwise."

Leivinia was silent. Her symbolic weapon suddenly shifted into a wand and she stuck her hands into the pockets of her dress, and then proceeded to stare Assassin down.

Maximilien Robespierre, the Assassin-Class Servant, narrowed his eyes. Something was not right.

"…Very well, then we shall begin." Assassin stated. "Our first charge; Corruption… yes…" Assassin approached the podium. "The manipulation of those around you… the conflict against GREMLIN in Hawaii and your ploy to force a reaction out of the twenty-seven Cooperative Institutions of Academy City, thus creating the Baggage City incident and caused the deaths of those involved by forcing Academy City's hand… all for the sake of luring your foes out into the open."

The men in the courtroom whispered amongst themselves, but Leivinia Birdway didn't flinch even slightly. Aside from the rise and fall of her chest, she made no movement, nor did she try to defend her actions.

Assassin's unease grew.

"…No response…?" Assassin questioned, doing his best to hide his uncertainty. "Then we move to your unjust actions… do I even need to reiterate the previous events? Or should I go into more detail about your tendency to cause widespread destruction and chaos as long as it benefits you? Even if you must ruthlessly slay others? Fräulein Kreutune may have more in common with beasts rather than men, but did that really give you the right to attempt to take her life? You continue to abuse and use people until everything they have is gone, then discard them… like you have done to so many people… just like the Hawaii incident."

More whispers flowed through the courtroom, but Leivinia stayed silent. Once more, she did not even move in the slightest; her hands remained hidden in her dress' pockets.

The nervous feeling grew in Assassin's mind. Did she not know that she would die? Or was she prepared for death?

…Or was she plotting something?

"…Order in the Court!" Assassin shouted. A shockwave rippled through the room violently. It covered every inch of the courtroom, except for one place.

The podium in which Leivinia Birdway stood.

At any time, Assassin has the ability to shout, "Order in the court!" and upon doing so, any assaults existing outside of the podium where the victim is placed will be destroyed by a violent shockwave. If the victim has left the podium, they will be restrained and dragged back to it by the mysterious force. In this instance, if the victim was trying to attack Assassin or anyone in the courtroom, and instant Guilty verdict will be rendered by the jury.

However, in all other instances, the trial will continue as normal. The jury did not react to try and render a verdict, so nothing must have been wrong.

Leivinia Birdway truly was not trying to do anything.

Rather than relieve Assassin, his paranoia started to spin out of control. She MUST be doing something, he thought, but his Noble Phantasm failed to pick up anything unusual.

Nothing was amiss. Leivinia continued to stand silently with her hands in the pockets of her skirt pockets; the sudden shockwave didn't seem to even slightly bother her.

There was only one thing he could do now.

"…Treachery." Assassin stated. "…I feel sorry for Kamijou Touma for having such a terrible ally."

Finally; a reaction. Leivinia's brow furrowed as she began to glare at the Assassin.

"You betray him time and time again… in Hawaii you purposefully betrayed his trust for the sake of your mission, leading him into the Baggage City Incident as well. And then, again with the Magic God Othinus… you betrayed him even though you knew full well what he must have undergone during his clash with the Magic God, yet you still insisted on turning your blade against him… he continues to trust you, yet you continue to betray him at every turn… you endlessly abuse his kindness all he receives in return is pain and suffering… how sad."

Leivinia's glare told Assassin everything he needed to know; she was furious with him.

Yet, she still did not act.

Assassin's fears still plagued him, but the court was on his side. He only needed to say one phrase further to end the life of this malicious little girl. His racing heart grew steady for a time as victory was within his grasp.

"What says the co-"

He never finished as a gunshot rang out in the courtroom. Assassin felt a searing pain in his chest as he coughed up blood, and felt around to discover a noticeable bullet hole in his chest. It had pierced a lung, the sudden blow stunning and interrupting him.

"B-but… normal fire-arms can't…!" Assassin began to speak as his mind raced to deal with the sudden attack. Before he could even attempt another usage of his power, Leivinia pulled out her Symbolic Weapon in its wand form and unleashed a massive wave of fire, enveloping Assassin in its raging flames.

 **-Academy City Streets-**

"…Assassin…? Assassin!?" Jonathan called out. Assassin and Leivinia Birdway were now back in the real world, with Assassin on his back, heavily burned and suffering from a gunshot, while Leivinia in the same place she was prior to the attack. The second attack left him unable to maintain his Noble Phantasm any longer, so it naturally dispersed and the two returned to the normal world.

"Welcome back, Boss." Mark greeted, holding off Jonathan's sword strike with both of his hands together on the blade.

"I was gone for about… say… five, maybe ten minutes right?" Leivinia asked.

"Correct." Mark answered. He suddenly kicked Jonathan in the stomach to send him back and then drew cards from his pocket.

"Damn it all… what the hell did you do to my Servant!?" Jonathan demanded. Leivinia ignored the sword-wielding magician and turned her attention to the Assassin below her.

"How did you like that enchanted bullet?" She taunted.

"Curse you… that's how you managed to wound me…!" Assassin spat. He noticed a bullet hole in the girl's dress; she had stored a gun in her pocket, and used the time created by his Noble Phantasm to cast a spell on the bullet to enhance its power.

Leivinia pulled the gun she had hidden away, revealing it to be a golden flintlock pistol.

"You know… I originally intended to hit your head to destroy your spirit core… Kamijou would have been saddened that he didn't get the chance to tear into you himself, but in a situation where I would have died otherwise, I think he would have accepted it…" Leivinia began the process of reloading the pistol, as it was an old-fashioned weapon that could only hold one round at a time. She finished the process then began to walk toward the downed Assassin.

"You little… such deceitful tricks to damage me- AGH!" He suddenly cried out in pain when Leivinia stabbed her heel into the bullet wound.

"But you just HAD to go and mention that, didn't you!?" Leivinia shouted. "You think I enjoy having to do that to him? To shatter his faith in me EVERY SINGLE GOD DAMN TIME!?" She stabbed her heel in deeper, twisting it as Assassin further cried out in pain. "You think I get off on doing that to him? That I have to fucking hurt him in order to accomplish my goals!? Of course I don't… and I really didn't like you insinuating that I do!" She stomped violently, nearly breaking her heel off as it stabbed deeper into Assassin's body.

"Get away from him you bitch!" Jonathan shouted as he continued to clash with Mark, who proved more than capable of handling the man.

"If I could avoid it… I would; believe me I would." Leivinia continued. "If I had it my way, he'd be right at my side, so I can keep him away from miserable pieces of shit like you… but I think we have a mutual understanding that the world isn't that kind."

"…So you continue to break him just to satisfy yourself?" Assassin suddenly shot up to try and grab Leivinia, but her wand shifted into the form of a sword and she stabbed it right into Assassin's shoulder, stopping him cold due to the pain.

"…Clearly, your Noble Phantasm can pull memories from people, but you can't read their minds all that well. Otherwise you would have seen my attack coming… and you would have realized by now that bringing him up in front of me is a bad idea…!" Leivinia twisted the blade and pulled it out. Assassin tried to grab her but he just barely missed as she leapt backwards.

"…What the hell is he to you…!? What is it that you want with all of this…!?" Assassin slowly rose to his feet.

"I don't honestly know… So I see him as a friend? So I see him as an older brother? Or have I fallen for him completely… I don't know." Leivinia answered. "As for what I'm after here… I'm just trying to manipulate the events of this Grail War into my favor, just like every other magician in this conflict. That should be easy to understand… right?"

"…You use people… even the ones you love… you manipulate everything so that you'll be on top every time…!" Assassin formed the executioner's axe in his hands. "You… are the kind of person I despise most… my natural enemy as long as I stand here Maximilien Robespierre…!"

"How unfortunate… to me; you barely qualify as an obstacle." Leivinia aimed her gun at the Assassin. "Now; I'd like to close the chapter of my life involved with those betrayals of his trust if you don't mind…" She tensed her finger, ready to pull the trigger. Assassin didn't know if she had the time to enchant another bullet, or if the gun was just a front to disguise a different attack.

All he could do from that distance was wait for the gunshot to ring.

"No! Assassin!" Jonathan finally managed to shake off Mark and soared over his Servant in an attempt to dive-attack the blonde cabal boss. However, Leivinia simply raised her gun and shot the magician out of the air, Jonathan crying out in pain and landing with a loud thud.

"Jon…! Why did you…!?" Assassin asked in shock.

"…If… you go down… neither of us… get what we want!" Jonathan spoke. "A bullet is a temporary injury… but if I lose you… I…!"

"…Mark, prepare for transport; we're taking these two in." Leivinia ordered. The two moved into position around the master and Servant pair.

"…I must thank you for saving me master… but it looks like we've reached our end…" Assassin spoke.

"I have… one last ace in the hole… or did you forget the power I have as a master!?" Jonathan held up his right hand, a command seal visible and shining bright. "By the order of this command seal, I order you Assassin to get us away from here as quickly as possible!"

One of three seals vanished, and Assassin was suddenly brimming with power. His wounds did not heal, but he was now rejuvenated in terms of his stamina.

"Mark! Stop them!" Leivinia moved in and so did Mark, but they were forced to stop.

Not by Assassin, however.

Several beams of light rained down upon the two as Assassin picked up Jonathan and made his escape. The duo still attempted to give chase, but the onslaught of attacks prevented them from moving.

Assassin and Jonathan vanished down an alleyway, and after that, Assassin's presence concealment skill went into effect; they had effectively escaped. The only trail they could follow would be Jonathan's if he was using a spell, but the man was likely unconscious after the injuries he sustained.

"…Who… the fucking hell just stopped me!?" Leivinia snapped her head around, looking at a rooftop.

Rider, Ramesses the Second, otherwise known as Ozymandias, stood proudly with his arms crossed.

"I hope you don't mind… but I have my orders to carry out," Rider began. "And for our plan to work, I need those two alive and active…"

"You… insolent…!" Leivinia's rage was building as ten cards suddenly fell from her sleeve. Instead of falling to the ground however, they hovered around her wrist as each one fell in succession.

"Boss, you're not going to-" Mark's words were ignored when Leivinia screamed in a fit of rage and thrust her palm towards Rider.

Telesma summoning is a technique that both Mark and Leivinia use in combination with their tarot cards; Mark uses the minor arcana, the suite of swords, while Leivinia uses the major arcana, which does not have a suite. Mark purposefully scatters his cards around to set up a ritual in order to summon Telesma, for example.

Leivinia Birdway has the capability to summon formless Telesma to cause an explosion.

However, this time she was doing a proper preparation, using ten cards of the twenty-two major arcana.

The only thing Mark was happy about at this point was that she didn't use all twenty-two cards, as the Telesma was indeed summoned, but not in the form of an orb or something similar.

But in the form of a massive blast of energy; a large focused beam easily the size of Leivinia own torso. It raced toward the Rider who crafted his own offensive attack to retaliate, but it was overpowered due to the massive amount of energy channeled into the assault.

When it faded, a large section of the building was destroyed, but Rider was nowhere to be found.

"…That bastard…! He survived that didn't he…?" Leivinia cursed.

"…At least you forced him to retreat." Mark commented.

"Next time I'm using the Twenty-Two Tarot Combo... that guy was the Rider if the Meltdowner's description is accurate… I don't know who the hell he is but next time he's going down." Leivinia huffed as she let out her rage.

"What will we do now?"

"…Hamazura said he had an idea for something creative. Let's go track him down." Leivinia began to walk down the street as did Mark. The cards Leivinia had used flew naturally back up Birdway's sleeve.

Rider was watching from an alleyway he had escaped into using the brief time his attack resisted Leivinia's powerful assault.

"…She's… a dangerous one." Rider commented to himself. "A Servant could take on fifty mages with ease… but she almost killed me, the King of Kings, in a single blow…"

He continued to watch silently as the two magi wanted down the street and eventually out of sight.

Rider grinned.

"…This war is going to be interesting indeed."

 **-District 7-**

"Man… that took longer than I thought…" Touma sighed. He looked at his left hand; the command seal completely obscured. He may be complaining about the time but he couldn't question the quality of Tsuchimikado's work.

Night was starting to set in.

"…I guess things will be starting up soon…" Touma stated. "I wonder where I should head… maybe I can call Index and find out where she is…" Touma pulled out his phone and began tapping away, but a red light from behind him caught his attention, as well as the crackle of lightning.

Touma abruptly turned, holding out his right hand to negate a sudden blast of bright red lightning. It crashed into Imagine Breaker with a roar, but was completely destroyed as a familiar shattering sound rippled out.

"…Even against a sneak attack you can react that fast huh."

"…I don't want to hear about silent-kill tactics from someone claiming to be a knight." Touma responded to the voice. The Saber-Class Servant, Mordred, stood a fair distance away, holding her sword Clarent in one hand. Despite her attack failing, Mordred had a noticeable smirk.

"That right hand of yours infuriates me to no end, boy… but even I must acknowledge its power. You wouldn't be able to handle attacks formed from my own hatred without some strength backing it up." Mordred spoke.

"…Part of me wants to tell you to leave this poor Kamijou alone… but I'm back here looking for Servants like you, so now I'm rather conflicted…" Touma sighed. "Such Misfortune."

"How ironic; because I came here looking for you too; I figured you'd show up somehow. According to my master this is your hometown, if I recall." Mordred aimed her sword at Touma.

"…Looking for me? I figured you'd be trying to track down Artoria…" Touma cocked his head to the side.

"You see… I fought her in the mansion… but she only got serious when your life was on the line… I see that otherwise she won't fight me with her best." Mordred explained. "So… I'm going to kick the shit out of you, and drag your nearly lifeless body over to her… then I'll finally be able to prove my superiority!"

"…You're single-handedly killing the mental image I have of knights being pure and good people." Touma replied.

"…Just for that I'm cutting off a limb." Mordred's eyes narrowed.

"Sorry; but I'm not interested in your revenge plot. Find another way to have your family argument settled…" Touma sighed.

"…Well then, you better be ready to fight, or run away like a coward, because I'm not the kind of person to just take no for an answer." Mordred grinned wide, holding her blade with both hands, aiming at down at Touma.

The unlucky Kamijou considered his options.

Fight back or run away.

Touma clenched his fists as his legs began to move…

…as he proudly endorsed option number two, booking it down the street.

"…W-what!?" Mordred stood stunned; she actually hadn't considered Touma running away as a possibility.

"Sorry, but I don't want to spend a month in the hospital just because you have daddy issues!" Touma shouted.

"Why you…! Get back here and fight like a man!" Mordred shouted.

"I don't feel like you are in any position to determine what constitutes a man!" Touma shouted back.

And just like that; Mordred snapped once more.

"You insufferable piece of shiiiiiiittttt!" Mordred burst forward in a full run after Touma, her sword arcing with red lightning. "Fuck dragging you to my father partly dead! I'll just kick your worthless corpse in front of him and be done with it!"

"You jumped from incapacitation to murder that quickly!? Are you really a knight or just some cosplayer who pretends to be one while not understanding them at all!?" Touma shouted.

"DIIIIIEEEEEE!" Mordred swung her Clarent, discharging arcs of lightning with each swing.

"Why is every electricity user I meet some kind of weird archetype with a violent spin thrown in!? Such misfortune!" Touma shouted as he continued to run, narrowly dodging Mordred's anger-filled attacks

As Touma ran across Academy City avoiding death by electricity, he couldn't help but feel a nostalgic emotion flow in his veins once more.

* * *

 **If there is one feeling I am going to try to push, it is that "Cabal Bosses Are Monsters." Hopefully after Leivinia almost one-shot a Servant, I hope that I ahve started planting the seeds of that theme.**

 **That's it folks, Thank you very much for reading. Review at your leisure; I still adore feedback.**

 **Have a good day everyone!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	15. Battle City

**Title of this chapter has nothing to do with a certain arc form a certain anime of the same name.**

 **Welcome back my friends to chapter 15. Not a whole lot to say here, so please enjoy!**

* * *

"Hold…"

A sword just barely missed its mark, slashing through a concrete wall with ease.

"Still…"

The next swing missed as well, slicing through a street light like butter.

"And…"

The third was a downward swing, which just barely missed its mark and smashed through the front of a car as the owner of the sword's target abruptly jumped onto the car and leapt off the hood.

"…Let me…" The fourth swing was more akin to a stab, which failed as the target abruptly ducked and rolled to the side, quickly rising to his feet and resuming running for his life.

"…Fucking kill you!" Mordred screamed as she swung Clarent towards the Unlucky Kamijou, red lightning arcing off to strike him.

"And why the hell should I do that!? Just to amuse you!?" Touma thrust his right hand out and negated the violent red electricity.

"Because it will be easier for the both of us! Your death by my hand is certain… why do you insist on prolonging the inevitable!? Isn't it in a man's very nature to try to take the easy way out if it will reach the end the quickest!?" Mordred shouted.

"I don't want to be lectured on how to be a man by a woman masquerading around as a fake knight!" Touma shot back.

If there was a way for Mordred to get angrier, she achieved it with ease.

"You… fucking… piece of shiiiiiiiittttt!" Mordred shot forward with a sudden use of her Mana Burst skill, quickly closing the gap and slashing downward at Touma. However, just as the blade would land, Touma moved to the side with just enough time to dodge the strike.

But that's not all; he used the surprise caused by his movement to strike Mordred across the face with his right fist, sending the knight rolling to the side in the air. The unlucky Kamijou didn't follow up the attack however, and promptly resumed his retreat from knight.

Mordred was angry. Not just because of the references to her gender, but because Touma dodged the attack at the last second.

And more over, after the sword-strike missed, her Instinct Skill made it clear to her that the counterattack was coming, but because her body was still in the air as well as in motion, so she couldn't move to dodge or block it without the use of another Mana Burst, and as much as it would have helped her to do so, she needed to conserve as much energy as possible for her inevitable fight with Artoria.

Kamijou Touma, if his word was to be believed, was just an ordinary high-school student. He had the power of Imagine Breaker in his right hand, but was otherwise normal in most respects.

Yet he had been able to dodge every single attack Mordred launched, despite her own Instinct Skill guiding her blade, and had even managed to strike her.

A normal man's fist would do little against a Servant, and there was no such way a man could react to Mordred's strikes that quickly.

Yet Touma's right hand was enough to force her away and inflict pain, and he was able to dodge each attack as if he predicted them.

Something definitely wasn't right.

"…Is his claim about being a normal person just a front…? Or does he honestly believe himself to be normal, despite all of this?" Mordred thought as he jumped back to her feet. "Either way… this is taking much more effort than it should… that ability to predict my movements rivals that of my own Instinct Skill… and why is it that this boy matters so much to my father…?"

Mordred gritted her teeth as she once more gave chase, intent on forcing the answers out of the unlucky Kamijou, and then dragging his body back as a means to challenge Artoria once more.

 **-Warehouse-**

"…I'm back." Albert called out. "I had to give someone the run-around… Minho's last ally has followed us here, but it appears he has been confronted by Leivinia Birdway, who has also appeared…"

"…If Birdway is here, more than likely that Kamijou Touma and his own associates are here as well… just as I planned." The Sage replied as he studied a magic circle on the ground. "…An overlaid curse… that will complicate this study a little bit…"

"To be clear, the real purpose for our presence here is the spell and not that boy, correct?" Albert asked.

"Correct is indeed the term I would use for that statement… though side objectives exist, this circle here is the reason we are within the capital of science." Sage replied. "If we can learn this… the one advantage Minho has over us will be erased…"

"…And we can use it in the future; very good." Albert stated. "My Saber is searching for something in the city; where is your Rider?"

"Ozymandias? I sent him out to find one of those side objectives I mentioned." Sage spoke.

"…Are you sure that is wise? It will leave you undefended." Albert asked.

"I assure you that this old man has more than a few tricks up his sleeve… you needn't worry; this is the most efficient path to success." Sage replied.

"…If it will help us, then I will trust your judgement." Albert nodded. The sound of flapping wings could be heard as a dove flew in and landed on the Sage's shoulder. The druid eyed the dove for a time before moving to stand up straight.

"…I see… that will definitely complicate things…" Sage spoke.

"What's wrong… what where you able to see from the bird's eyes?" Albert asked.

"…Judging from the time the familiar saw it and now; I would say that Minho's associate and the Kamijou Faction were not the only ones who decided to follow us…" Sage spoke. "In a few short moments, Lazarus Wolfchild will break into Academy City."

 **-Academy City Wall-**

Inside a control room, a man stood at a podium in one of many control towers along the perimeter wall that surrounded the city. Around him, several men and women operated various computers and shifted through large amounts of data.

"…Status report?" The man called out.

"Sir; all attempts at communication have failed. The incoming object is refusing to respond to our calls to turn back." A woman answered.

"Full visual data is in… it looks to be a flying man of some kind; though he's wearing a large amount of unusual clothing and armor; could it be some kind of weird Powered Suit?" A man asked.

"…It's possible, but it's definitely not made by us; that's troubling to see that another nation has managed to develop one." The man, clearly the officer in charge replied. "What's its status?"

"It will be within Academy City airspace in approximately five minutes." A woman responded. "Should we deploy the Six-Wings to intercept?"

"…Is it alone?" The commander asked.

"Yes; no other movement can be seen or detected through radar or other scanners." The previous man stated. "So far, no nation has claimed responsibility since it entered Japanese airspace, nor has any terrorist organization."

"…So it could be anyone…" The commander commented. "…Prep the Six-Wings, but keep them on standby; if it's alone and we have the option to take it down easily, we will do so. Prepare the missile batteries on the wall and have them open fire the moment the target is in range." Men and women accepted their orders and various soldiers all over quickly took action as they prepared their defensive countermeasures.

Lazarus Wolfchild however, only saw a large wall.

He soared through the sky with great speed, and if one traced his movements they would find that he had been flying nonstop since his departure from London.

He had lost his targets which had murdered a member of his cabal; one of the precious people he had come to know since joining the organization and raising to its leadership.

Then he learned that one of those people who where responsible was seen boarding a flight to Academy City, and immediately took off in pursuit.

He glared as he flew, his arms aimed forward as he charged ahead.

Lazarus Wolfchild was not a happy man.

The missile batteries fully activated and began to swing around, taking aim and opening fire. It wasn't long before the air was filled with explosives.

Lazarus simply opened his fists wide and black orbs formed quickly, firing off like machinegun bullets to intercept the attacks, destroying each missile with ease.

"Sir! It's shooting them down! It's armed!" A woman called out in the control tower called out. Several explosions rocked the tower as the black orbs slammed into the missile batteries around it, causing them to explode. The commander cursed as he could see Lazarus fly over the wall and enter the city.

"No choice… we have to stop that thing from causing chaos in the city! Deploy them now!"

Lazarus continued to soar, slowing down as he took time to look around, searching for whatever he could find as he searched from the sky. Soon more missiles came from behind which he quickly noticed and turned to destroy, and found eight flying objects pursuing him.

They were called Six-Wings, but their official name was the HsAFH-11. They were high-grade attack choppers, heavily armored and completely AI driven, they were outfitted with rocket engines on their large wings, which could split into six total, in addition to varying weaponry. Lazarus increased his speed but the Six-Swings kept up with relative ease. Upon the deduction made by the Six-Wings on-board computers that their target could easily counter missiles, they changed their tactics and began to open fire with bullets instead, using their superior numbers to try and force Lazarus into a vulnerable position.

As he flew and avoided his attackers, he brought his hands together, forming a unique hand sign right in front of his chest.

In another nation, a certain someone who had access to Lazarus' mind heard a chant within the cabal boss' mind, speaking the words out loud as she read them:

Now you must accept your end.

Now you must understand your end.

Now you must feel your end.

Allow me to teach you…

…The Eight Precepts of Death.

In an instant, eight pitch black spheres shot out of a bright purple light emanating from Lazarus' hands and began to seek out the eight Six-Wings. The aircrafts unleashed their defensive mechanisms, but the black orbs tore through them with ease. Each one affected the Six-Wings differently.

One enveloped its target and suddenly compressed itself, crushing the aircraft.

One was absorbed inside, and the Six Wings suddenly broke apart as all of its individual pieces suddenly disconnected from each other.

One burned a hole right through the ship's metallic hull.

One enveloped its target and suddenly took the form of ice, causing the aircraft's flight systems to fail.

One exploded on contact, taking the aircraft with it.

One acted like a cannonball and smashed right into the hull of its victim, knocking it into the side of the building.

One suddenly turned into a horizontal blade and sliced the Six-Wings in half.

And the final one enveloped its target, and suddenly both it and the aircraft vanished from reality.

Lazarus continued on his path as he soared through the sky, no longer disturbed. He grew suspicious, as he expected the pursuit from before but found it strange that there were no further attempts on his life made by Academy City.

His suspicions were silenced when a green beam nearly struck him from a highway below.

"Fucking hell… I missed… figured after taking out those Six-Wings that he'd be a little more distracted…" Mugino cursed. She was currently riding in the back of a flatbed truck driving down the highway. In front, Kinuhata rode shotgun while Takitsubo drove, using her AIM Stalker to keep a close eye on Lazarus' position. Part of the driver's side door was melted, making it clear they forced their way inside, more than likely with Mugino's Meltdowner.

"You were super right about Lazarus being in town, Takitsubo…" Kinuhata commented. She then poked her head out the window and called back to Mugino. "Hey! Be sure not to kill the guy; we need information from him!"

"I already know that you dumbass!" Mugino shouted as she fired her Meltdowner again into the air, trying to blast Lazarus out of the sky.

"Eh… with how she's shooting, I super wonder if she really gets it…" Kinuhata pulled herself back inside. "Hey, where did you learn how to hotwire a car, anyway?"

"Hamazura showed me." Takitsubo replied as she turned the wheel, narrowly dodging a retaliatory strike from Lazarus.

"Must have been a slow date, eh…?"

"I wanted him to show me." Takitsubo corrected. "He's also been helping me with my driving… I've been trying to get him to help me improve my marksmanship, but he's more than a little opposed to it."

"…What kinds of things are you super into, Takitsubo?" Kinuhata deadpanned, but Takitsubo only shrugged, once more quickly turning the wheel to dodge an oncoming blast of energy.

Lazarus narrowed his eyes as he flew. He recognized the girl in the flatbed as one of the girls fighting against Jonathan and Assassin, as well as the girls in cab of the truck, but this didn't offer him any answers as to why they were suddenly assaulting him.

It could possibly involve Jonathan and Minho in some way; were they seeking him out because of his relation to them?

It didn't matter; he had a goal.

Jonathan and his servant killed one of his precious subordinates, and he would make them both pay personally. And then he would take his anger out on Minho for orchestrating the situation in the first place, and finally he would seek out Albert and Sage to parley with them; he still held his wish in his heart and would do anything to make his dream a reality.

But right now those girls were in his way. Direct attacks seemed to fail, as either the driver of the truck would move to dodge or one of those green beams would annihilate his attacks.

The only option left was to make pursuit impossible.

He held his hands together for a time, and then slowly pulled them apart, a large black sphere forming in-between his hands. He fired the attack further down the highway; the orb hit the street and rapidly expanded; engulfing everything in a pitch-black mass of energy, before it suddenly collapsed in on itself and disappeared, taking the large section of the highway with it.

"Woah, Slow down! Hit the braaakkkkeeeesssss!" Kinuhata screamed as Takitsubo slammed on the brake pedal to bring the truck to a stop. Lazarus flew safely out of their attack range as ITEM was forced to stay behind due to the sudden disappearance of the road.

"Fucking shit… you two ok?" Mugino climbed over the side of the truck and moves to check on her comrades.

"A little freaked out… but I'm super fine…" Kinuhata replied.

"…I'm ok." Takitsubo took a moment before she replied.

"Has his flight changed at all?" Mugino asked, looking off at the figure flying away as he was still visible for a short time.

"…No; same speed." Takitsubo commented. "All we need is a different mode of transportation; as long as Lazarus exists as an esper, he cannot escape me."

Lazarus continued on his path, satisfied with the results of his plan. He needed to conserve his abilities so a quick and easy end to any pursuit was welcome. He flew over the city undisturbed, searching for any trace of Jonathan or his Assassin-Class Servant.

At least until a fireball erupted from the side of a building and smashed right into him, exploding violently on contact. Lazarus crashed on his back, but was quick to jump to his feet. He looked around feverously. Another fireball erupted from an alleyway, which Lazarus was able to easily deflect with his telekinetic ability, but the next sound he heard made him freeze.

The sound of a gun's safety being forced off as it was aimed at him.

Albert stepped out from the alleyway, his rather impressive suit opened up, revealing holsters for two guns, one of them drawn and aimed at the cabal boss.

"…Long time no see." Albert greeted. "I'm going to make this clear; these rounds have been enchanted… they'll punch a hole right through your armor as well as anyone behind you, so you better stay put and don't move… is that understood?"

Lazarus simply stared down the well-dressed man, not making a sound.

"…I take that as acceptance of my terms, good." Albert spoke. "I am fully aware that you are not here for me or the Sage at this time; I would find it impossible to know that we were here at all… I can only assume you are after Jonathan and his Assassin, correct? They took the life of Noellia Revan, after all."

Lazarus' hands formed fists.

"Do not worry… we have plans to deal with them personally; that man and his servant are no longer your concern." Albert stated. "Unfortunately… you likely have business with me as well… which is unacceptable at this time."

Lazarus' body lowered, as if he was getting ready to charge ahead.

"The time for us to fight is fast approaching… I will take the Solution to Nothingness from underneath your boot and raise it up into something magnificent… efficient, productive. I will show you what it means to lead, and what these people are truly capable of… until then," Albert moved the gun to aim for Lazarus' head. "Go to sleep."

Albert tensed his hand to fire, but no bullets came as a dark red blade suddenly flew from a rooftop nearby and destroyed the gun in his hand. Before Albert could react to the sudden destruction, Lazarus flew forward, slamming his body into the man's torso, and carrying them both down the alleyway.

Explosions began to ring out as fighting between the current leader of the Solution to Nothingness and the son of the former commenced.

 **-Nearby Rooftop-**

"Are you sure it was a good idea to just destroy that guy's gun, rather than take him out completely?" Rin asked. Shirou stood close by with a bow in hand.

"If I just finished off either one, the other would have escaped… this way; those two will probably keep fighting and stay together." Shirou answered. "Let them duke it out then we can capture them both when they're weak… that's the plan I had in mind."

"As long as the cabal boss doesn't wipe out the other guy too quick… it's safe to say that the man Lazarus is fighting is one of the masters; that was without a doubt magecraft." Rin commented.

"Yeah… it looks like Mugino-san and her friend were following Lazarus… by the time they track the two down they should be able to deal with them both… capture the cabal boss and one of the masters." Shirou's bow suddenly faded away. "Should we tail them both anyway? Or…"

"Hold on, I see something." Rin held up a pair of binoculars when she saw something moving in the distance. "…I see someone carrying someone else; jumping from rooftop to rooftop… the man jumping around has some really old stylized clothes… looks like it could be a Servant to me… and it looks like they've both been in a fight recently…"

"Well, considering the place we're in… anything is possible…" Shirou commented. "…Lets tail them. If they're espers then they're just espers, but if they're a master and a Servant… we could end up rounding up everyone we're after in one night."

"Sounds like a plan to me… let's go." Rin and Shirou then jumped off the rooftop to pursue the retreating duo, leaving Lazarus and Albert to the ITEM girls who were making their way to the battlefield.

 **-Academy City Streets-**

"Come on… come ooooonnnnnn! There has to be a way to lose her around here somewhere!" Touma shouted as he ran.

"Aren't you tired of this yet!? We've been running nonstop for a half hour… how can you call yourself normal yet have the endurance of a giant!?" Mordred shouted, still chasing the Unlucky Kamijou down.

"You're not the first one to try and chase me down like this, and there's no way I'm going to accept an accusation like that from a fake knight girl!" Touma shot back.

"Oh you just fucking LOVE making this hole you've dug for yourself even deeper, don't you!? What the fuck are you; some kind of weird masochist!? Does the idea of me kicking the shit out of you get you rock hard or something!?" Mordred shouted.

"You're only proving my point! Do you even hear yourself talk!? If you claim to be a knight, then let's see some fancy sword play and some chivalry! Come on; impress me!" Touma demanded.

"Chivalry!? You want some chivalry!? I'll show you some god damn chivalry all right… right after I stick this sword up your ass and twist it!" Mordred redoubled her efforts to chase down Touma, sending arcs of lightning down the unlucky Kamijou's way.

After enduring Mordred's onslaught of attacks once more, Touma suddenly darted down an intersecting alleyway, throwing some trash cans down behind him in an attempt to somewhat slow down the Saber-Class Servant hunting him down.

And then he smashed straight into a wall; there were some intersecting alleyways a fair distance back, but the path he followed lead him straight into a dead end.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me… a dead-end here!? Did I lose track of where I was!? Such misfortune!" Touma shouted.

"It's… about damn time…" Mordred was barely even affected by Touma's attempts to slow her down. The intersecting alleyways were a fair distance behind the knight, so if Touma could get around her, he could escape.

Mordred seemed to also be aware of this, and unleashed red lightning from her blade to strike the buildings behind her, causing them to partially collapse, closing off Touma's single escape route.

"Oh come on…!" Touma cursed.

"I've… been chasing you for a half hour. This game of cat and mouse is fucking over you insufferable piece of shit…!" Mordred moved some of her blonde hair out of her eyes.

Touma weighed his options; the rubble was tall but not un-scalable. It was risky, but he could potentially climb it. Problem was that while he tried Mordred would attack him, so his chances to move were few in number. Touma put up his guard, preparing for some kind of fight.

Mordred popped her neck with her free hand.

"I really can't believe this… I've really had to go all out just for a brat like you… I suppose it at least makes a little sense why my father is so attached to you." She spoke.

"…We're friends." Touma stated. "If someone tries to attack your friend, it's normal to try to protect them, right?"

"Yeah, I get that." Mordred replied. "Back in the old days there were a few people I'd bust some faces in for if someone tried to fuck with them; I just had trouble seeing why my father had such a relationship with you… but I suppose it makes a little more sense now."

"…What is it that you really want?" Touma questioned.

"I already told you; I'm going to drag you-"

"Not that. Not about me; what do you want from her?" Touma asked. "You keep bringing her up… so what exactly do you want from Artoria-san?"

"To prove myself of course." Mordred replied. "She never acknowledged me; her own child. My father barely knew I even existed, let alone the fact that I was his offspring, and even refused to acknowledge my skill with leadership, even when I led a full rebellion against her. So I'm going to prove it to her, right here in this city! She won't be able to deny me or who I am any longer!"

"…Is that really all there is?" Touma asked.

"Pardon?" Mordred replied.

"Is that really all there is to that? Just proving yourself?" Touma asked again.

"What are you implying you brat…?" Mordred spat.

"…You focus on Artoria-san so much… do you regret being the one that killed her?" Touma asked bluntly. A short silence followed, and the two stared each other down.

"…You really do just exist to push my buttons, don't you?" Mordred replied. In an instant, Mordred's bulky armor suddenly vanished, revealing the girlish frame of the knight. She wore a red tube-top to obscure her chest for modesty, but otherwise her upper torso was left uncovered, while red cloth covered most of her arms. She wore an elaborate red loincloth around her waist, and her legs were covered by black leggings that went up to her thighs, and red heels.

She appeared a lot smaller without her bulky armor, only being about roughly five feet tall and having a very slim build. She moved her arms around to stretch and pop her joints.

"It's been too long… I don't do this for everyone, so you better be really pleased with yourself right now." Mordred spoke with a smile.

"What… are you…?" Touma seemed confused.

"I can move a lot better without that hunk of steel all around me… yeah." Mordred tossed her blade into the air, only to catch it and aim it at Touma with one hand, her other outstretched towards the unlucky Kamijou. "Now… I should have no problem keeping your slippery-ass in check. I hope you can handle fighting me seriously…!"

"…Don't expect me to just roll over and die." Touma replied. Mordred's smile turned into a smirk as she suddenly charged forward, eager to finally enter combat once more.

* * *

 **And here we are at the bottom. Not a whole lot to say here I suppose.**

 **Things sure are heating up, aren't they?**

 **I Hope you all enjoyed. Please review at your leisure; I still love feedback.**

 **Have a good day!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	16. Confrontation

**And here we are again... not much to say this time.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"For a short time, we should be safe here." Assassin spoke as he set his master down. They had both broken into a currently unoccupied apartment to set up a temporary base.

"…Yeah; this will work. I should be able to set up a proper healing spell." Jonathan spoke. "We're both a little messed up right now, aren't we?"

"I would advise haste with your preparations; we are being pursued." Assassin spoke.

"Right, right… the folks here won't care a whole lot if I re-arrange the room to set up a temple for a full spell… this won't be like those small-scale ones for the field… even my Sword of the Anemoi has its limitations in healing when I face east to call forth Zephyrus of the fructifying west wind to heal wounds and restore stamina… this will be more like actual healing."

"Are you sure your mana reserves can handle such?" Assassin questioned.

"It will be risky for sure… but with injuries like ours if we don't recover enough it won't matter much anyway." Jonathan made his way around the room, collecting objects to represent items in the room to set-up a temple for the healing spell.

"I suppose… that witch did manage to damage me severely…" Assassin spoke, glancing down at the bullet wound in his chest. The round must have exited the back because he could not find the projectile when he dug around for it. "…Tell me, are magus of this age akin to that girl?"

"Not sure if you're meaning in reference to her strength, her drive, or her temperamental tendency…" Jonathan replied. "They can be like her… some will do whatever it takes to accomplish what they want, but I feel everyone has those soft spots in their heart's… clearly you touched one… but considering that she was just planning a headshot, it might have saved you."

"I suppose… people can be easily manipulated by their own emotions, though I doubt that tactic will work on that girl twice, so we must tread carefully."

"Definitely… that was Leivinia Birdway; a cabal boss on par with Lazarus Wolfchild. Servants are tough, but I'd say one would have to have a really high magic resistance skill to withstand her attacks… or be a Caster-Class to combat her spells directly." Jonathan began arranging items on a table in the middle of the room.

"Information leads to the conclusion that a Servant should be able to handle at least fifty first-rate magi with ease… but I suppose anything is possible with the top-dogs among of those first-rates." Assassin watched the windows with care, as well as keeping a keen eye on his senses in case any Servants or other magi decided to invade. He could tell that two were following them, but they were taking the wait-and-see approach and were currently not moving to attack.

"I can believe that… don't even get me started on Saints; they'd more than likely beat out Servants in a direct contest; even the weakest Saint surpasses most of the strongest magi; I think only those like Fiamma of the Right or the long-dead Aleister Crowley would be able to compete with them… maybe the Queen of England but the chances of a clash like that happening are slim to none." Jonathan finished his preparations and began to draw magic circles.

"…The world has changed so much; yet the kinds of people who live inside of it remain the same." Assassin stated, walking away from the window. "Corruption and violence remain constant… it truly saddens me that my efforts couldn't have changed the course of human nature."

"Well, that's why we're after the grail." Jonathan stated. "With it… we can create a world perfected by justice… a world where corruption and violence as a constant factor could be exterminated."

"…To make a truly just world. One where no one will have to die just to keep the peace. That is you're desire, is it not?" Assassin asked.

"That's right… even if I have to commit those crimes, if we can make a world without suffering and violence, I'll gladly be the martyr for it." Jonathan replied.

"…And that is why I can fully respect you, Joe Joe." Assassin stated. "As long as we act in the name of true justice for the sake of the world, our actions are just."

"We can make it happen. A world where… Noellia wouldn't have had to die…" Jonathan paused and gave a somber look.

"…I know it is hard to lose someone you saw as your comrade, but we must do everything possible to insure our success." Assassin responded.

"I know, I know… I trust your judgement…" Jonathan pushed himself to his feet. "It just means I'll have to fight for the both of us… she wanted the same thing; in the world I want to make, she wouldn't have been forced into her position."

"…For what little it is worth, I had little desire to move on her as I did; I truly hoped my Noble Phantasm would have been able to judge her as innocent… but this world isn't that kind, I suppose." Assassin spoke.

"…It might not be now, but it will be when our work is complete." Jonathan nodded at Assassin, who nodded back. The sword-wielding magus than began to cast his healing spell, hoping it would be complete before the two chasing after them could make a move.

 **-Enclosed Alleyway-**

"Stand still and fight like a man!" Mordred shouted as she continued to swing her sword at the unlucky Kamijou.

"You say that like I can stop a sword with my bare hands! I'm not special enough to have the ability to become harder than steel you know!" Touma shot back as he moved to dodge each attack.

"Why not try your fancy right arm then, huh? Surely it could do something more interesting than pussyfooting around like this!"

"…Not a chance. Knowing my luck that's exactly what you want to happen so you can just cut it off or something." Touma replied.

"…I was that obvious, huh?" Mordred rested her sword Clarent on her shoulder and scratched her cheek with one finger.

"D-don't give me that kind of bashful reply when the topic revolves around mutilation! What are you; the personification of violence or something!?" Touma shouted.

"Why are you still treating this like it's a game." Mordred asked. "It's a matter of life or death; this sword can kill you… but you seem rather relaxed."

"…I seem relaxed?" Touma gave a confused expression. "Have I truly been through so much that I consider attacks on my life normal? I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not but I'm leaning towards the latter…"

"Well don't worry about it; in a few moments it won't matter that much either way." Mordred once again lifted up her sword and took aim, ready to change ahead.

"…And what about you? Despite all your complaining, I still see that grin on your face… are you actually enjoying this or something?" Touma backed up, putting up his own guard once more.

"Hmmm… maybe." Mordred replied. "It's not every day that someone is able to survive against me this long and can still talk shit, even if they're just being a coward like you… maybe I'm just a little amused with your struggling."

"…Hah… you really are just the personification of violence… such misfortune." Touma sighed. Mordred suddenly shot forward, her arm arched for a downward chop, and Touma moved to dodge the strike. However, the downward slice never came as Mordred suddenly punched the unlucky Kamijou across the face, sending him flying back into a wall.

"Oho… so it is possible to fool those senses of yours… you may be good at reacting but you lack any real combat training, right?" Mordred smirked.

"…I don't want to hear that condescending attitude when you just sucker punched me…" Touma shot back, slowly standing up.

"Eh? That's what you're complaining about now? This isn't come kind of fancy duel; this is a fight in a war! I will do anything in a fight, including kicking and biting if it means earning an advantage!" Mordred charged forward again, swinging her blade downward wildly. Touma moved to dodge each swing, and after a short time Mordred faked Touma out once more, throwing at straight punch. This time however, Touma ducked down and moved into Mordred's guard, uppercutting the knight with his right fist, sending her back.

"…Man this is looking bad… I'm managing so far but I'm not going to hold out forever…!" Touma slowly backed up, eager to put as much distance between himself and Mordred as possible.

"Then why the hell are you wasting my time?" Mordred jumped back up to her feet.

"…I'm not the kind of person who just gives up and dies just because the situation is hopeless. Even if it's just wasted effort, I'll give it everything I have until the very end." Touma replied.

Mordred eyed the unlucky Kamijou closely, narrowing her gaze.

"…That's a sentiment I can understand, I suppose." Mordred replied. "But no one is going to save you from me, understand? No one is going to stop me!"

"…Yeah. A hopeless situation like this fairly normal for me… such misfortune." Touma sighed.

For some reason, that statement seemed to irritate Mordred a bit. It was too casual, despite its morbid wording.

Maybe she was enjoying herself; fighting against someone that could actually stand up to her, and that statement of defeat soured her entertainment, and it didn't help that the statement itself sounded like he had been put into circumstances like this before. Mordred prided herself in being unique, born from her desire to be a distinct existence from her "father."

The idea that she, Mordred, was just another occurrence in this person's life irritated her to no end.

So she decided in that instant that she won't simply just kill or subdue this boy; she would go beyond and engrave her very existence into Kamijou Touma's soul.

"…Here I come!" Mordred spoke as she suddenly hurled her sword like a spear at Touma, blade facing the boy. The edge was aimed for his chest, a place Touma could easily defend with Imagine Breaker, but his brief experience with Mordred's wild fighting style told him that she could easily follow this attack up, and so to prevent a counterattack, Touma moved to dodge it instead.

And his assumption was right on the money; after throwing the sword, Touma saw Mordred was charging straight at him.

However, a sudden usage of Mana Burst suddenly sent the knight rapidly toward the unlucky Kamijou, slamming into his chest. Mordred wasn't finished, as she used Touma's stunned state to flip over the boy, and put Touma into a headlock, wrapping her legs around the boy's waist to hold herself in place.

"How about that!? This getting you excited at all you wuss!?" Mordred shouted as she choked Touma from behind.

"I'm… not… an… M….!" Touma choked out, his hands flying up to Mordred's arm in an attempt to free himself.

"That's right… fight back! Show me what you got! Fight for your god-damn life you piece of shit!" Mordred howled, grinning. Touma tried to walk around, shaking his body back and forth, but Mordred didn't even budge; her grip was too strong. She heard the boy mumble something out after a moment, but she couldn't make it out. "Come on now… speak up! Make your last words something worth remembering!"

"You… said… in a fight… anything… is fair… right…!?" Touma tried to swing his head back and forth, seemingly trying to escape. Mordred's smirk widened, amused by Touma's attempts to free himself.

The smirk vanished immediately when Touma moved his head close to her upper-arm and managed to bite down on it. Mordred bit back a scream, gritting her teeth as she tightened her grip with her arms and legs to try and distract herself from the pain.

A though resonated in the back of her mind that such an attack from a human should have no effect on her, but this was quickly overwritten by the painful sensory input and her desire for victory; if she could choke-out the unlucky Kamijou, it hardly would matter if he was able to hurt her after all.

Touma had other plans, as he suddenly began to move backward quickly, slamming Mordred into a wall; an action that also had the oddity of inflicting pain upon her. Mordred's grip loosened up enough for Touma to break away, diving forward to put distance between him and the female knight.

"Note… to self…" Touma panted, catching his breath. "…Imagine Breaker… seems to make Servants vulnerable to normal damage… but does NOT reduce their strength in the slightest…!"

Mordred clicked her teeth, coming to the same conclusion. Ordinarily, Servants have near immunity to typical forms of damage, but Imagine Breaker seemed to induce vulnerability to them, possibly due to causing strange malfunctions within a Servants spirit core. At least this is what Mordred thought; there really was no way to find out at the moment.

All she knew was that Kamijou Touma's right arm not only could hurt her, but could make her vulnerable to damage.

"…Not bad, you resourceful little shit." Mordred spoke as she climbed to her feet and lifted Clarent from the ground. "I might be able to keep up with your reaction speed properly without my armor… but the main downside the lack of protection causes… is something I can't really escape from…" She swung her sword around, before reaming it back at Touma with a grin.

However, the unlucky Kamijou appeared less than enthused.

"…Do we seriously have to keep doing this?" Touma asked.

"You're the one opposing my plans, so I really don't want to hear a complaint like that from you. If you've finally made your peace with death, then just stand there and take my next attack, boy." Mordred replied.

"…Do you regret killing Artoria-san?" Touma repeated his question from earlier.

"That again… why even bother asking me twice…? Do you seriously just exist to piss me off…!?" Mordred shouted.

"Because I think Artoria-san regrets having to kill you." Touma stated. Mordred was going to interrupt but his words had a profound effect on her. "I don't know for sure… but I have a feeling that's why she won't fight you seriously. She doesn't want to fight you like that…"

"…Insolent little…" Mordred gritted her teeth.

"So… do you regret killing Artoria Pendragon?" Touma repeated once more. This time Mordred found it difficult to answer. She wanted to derail the topic like she had before, but her mind was suddenly racing.

"…No, I don't." Mordred finally replied. "My father would have been felled by either me or some other king or warrior, so I see it as a mercy to die by the hand of someone you know rather than an unknown man from an unknown land."

"…You realize you're her child, right? If you do, that's even more twisted than how you put it… as if anyone would want their kids to kill them; I'm sure there are circumstances where what you're saying applies, but not when you're related…" Touma replied. "That's just really sad, you know?"

"I'd advise shutting your mouth before I cut off your tongue you piece of shit…" Mordred warned.

"…And then there's that violent streak of yours…" Touma sighed. "You're acting more like a tyrant than a king; if this is how you acted before, I can see why Artoria-san didn't turn over the throne to you."

"…So what?" Mordred began, Clarent arcing with red electricity once more. "How I act doesn't matter; the title of King or Tyrant only changes hands depending on the actions of its owner."

"…You really are different from Artoria-san, you know?" Touma spoke. "You're acting like a brat vying for attention… but if what Artoria-san told me about you is right, I can see why… honestly; it's really sad."

"I already know my own sob story…" Mordred bent her knees, ready to charge ahead.

"…It's not too late to prove yourself to her, you know." Touma spoke.

Mordred stopped herself from moving; she was ready to leap and lob off Kamijou's head, but something about those words resonated in her.

"…I'm listening; make it quick." Mordred spoke, curious.

"To be an heir… she would want someone who can act like a king… like she did. A king lives for the people and their country, not just for themselves. I believe they have to be ready to devote themselves to others… all you've done is act for yourself, but you can prove you're ready for that; prove that you are ready to be that true king in Artoria's stead…"

Mordred stood, intently listening. She doubted the boy's words, truth be told, but if there was even a small chance of his words being correct, she had to listen.

"…I think all you have to do is be selfless, honestly; an act to show her that you're done working for your own personal gain and ready to embrace what it means to be a ruler." Touma spoke.

"Tell me; what do you suggest would be enough for such a tactic to work?" Mordred narrowed her eyes, her mind at work.

"…This is a war, right? A lot of people die in events like this; no one is truly immortal." Touma began. "You know this better than anyone; you killed her, and she killed you… You were the reason she died before… but now… all you have to do is be the reason she lives."

Silence filled the area for a moment.

"…The world isn't that kind, you know." Mordred replied. "I live a cursed life; no matter what I do, I am fated to be the one to kill her. In the life before, this one, or the next."

"If it's a curse you're worried about, if it did persist… my right hand surely destroyed it." Touma replied. "Imagine Breaker works on curses too; you should be free from it if it really was a factor."

"You're too nice… I've been trying to kill you this entire time, and you're still trying to save my Father? Despite how hopeless it is to oppose me?" Mordred asked.

"No; I'm trying to save you, Mordred-san." Touma replied.

"…Save me?" Now she was confused.

"Of course! Save you from this cycle of hatred and revenge!" Touma shouted. "I can tell that you're not lying; you want to prove yourself to Artoria-san… but I can also tell that you don't want to hurt her! You don't want to kill her again! Fuck this shit about curses and fate; do things how you want to, Mordred-san!"

"Shut up! Don't you dare speak as if you know who I am or what I want!" Mordred shouted back. "Who the hell are you tell me all of this? Mr. Ordinary High School Student? Who the fuck do you think you are!?"

"…I want to say I am an ordinary High School Student… but that is getting harder and harder to say each time this happens… I always return to that normal ordinary life after each extraordinary event… but with how many incidents happening they're starting to take over my life…" Touma replied.

"…" Mordred was quiet for a moment. "…I can't believe those words. Even if it would work, the situation that calls for what you suggest won't happen; me and her will be enemies for as long as we both draw breath." Clarent began arcing electricity once more as she prepared to attack.

Touma gave a somber look as he reluctantly put up his guard once more.

"…Don't feel so bad; you managed to change my mind. I no longer have the desire to kill you… I'll make sure you live. Even someone like me knows when there is someone that shouldn't have to die." Mordred spoke.

"…So then why do you only see an ending where you have to fight her?" Touma asked.

"That stings a lot more than you think it does… brat." Mordred smiled. The two began to circle each other, not sure what the opposite would do. In an instant, Mordred moved to attack.

Their fight was over, but not because of a fatal blow.

But because the wall behind Mordred suddenly exploded.

The object that destroyed the wall was three meters tall; it appeared as a large unit that the operator wears on their back like a backpack, it had two huge steel arms that are large enough to reach the ground, and small legs for stability control.

The operator was a sixteen year old boy with dirty blond hair.

The two arms lashed out in the confusion and grabbed ahold of Mordred's sides, holding her in the air.

"It was way too easy to sneak up on you; try to be more aware of your surroundings next time, Girl-Knight-san." Hamazura commented with a smirk as Mordred struggled against her binds.

"Why… you…!" Mordred grunted out.

"You're not getting away; Servants might be tough, but do you really think you can overpower a state-of-the-art Academy City Power Lifter? Get real." Hamazura continued. Mordred clicked her teeth.

"Then I'll… huh!?" Mordred's face twisted in confusion. "I… can't go into spirit form…!?"

"That would be my fault." Leivinia Birdway, followed closely behind by Mark Space, stepped out from behind Hamazura's Power Lifter. "Funny what a few runes on the hands would do against spirits… don't you think?"

"You bitch…! You're not going to get away with this…!" Mordred shouted.

"What… are you guys doing here?" Touma asked.

"Me and Birdway met-up a little bit after I picked this baby up." Hamazura answered.

"And there's a whole lot of mana flying around because of a fight in the other portion of the city… but there was only one spot where those flares of mana were suddenly vanishing without a trace; guess where I decided we should take a look?" Leivinia spoke with her hands on her hips.

"So… you came to save him…?" Mordred cursed.

"He's a fairly valuable asset… as you can see." Leivinia replied. "Aww… you probably want to be free huh? Well… if you agree to take us to your master, I suppose that can be arranged… don't worry, when I make you mine after I steal his seals, you'll find me much more agreeable as a master…"

"…Don't go talking about Heroic Spirits like they're objects by trying to claim them…" Touma scolded Leivinia.

"People refer to their love partners as "theirs" all the time, and I don't see anyone complaining about that." The blonde cabal boss replied.

"But- wait… hold on…" Touma paused. "…Was that some kind of weird love confession meant for her?" Touma pointed at Mordred.

"…Eh?" Mordred blinked and briefly stopped struggling, looking down at Leivinia.

"W-where the hell did you get an idea like that you dumbass!?" Leivinia barked.

"…You think someone like me would be interested in a little bitch like you? Not a chance… get some weight on that chest of yours if you even want to consider approaching me like that." Mordred spoke.

"W-why is the captive talking back like that! This is your fault, Kamijou!" Leivinia shouted.

"…Staying out of this one…" Mark took a few steps back.

"Damn it Mark… Hamazura! Tell them! You have to know what I meant, right!?" Leivinia pointed at the dirty blonde.

"…Listen, be true to yourself. She's kind of cute; if you really are into her like that don't be ashamed." Hamazura spoke with a deadpan expression. His sarcasm was obvious, but it didn't make the blonde cabal boss feel any better.

"…Wise guy huh… you're lucky you're carrying precious cargo…" Leivinia said in a dark tome. Hamazura gulped, but didn't change his deadpan expression.

"…I'm done with this." Mordred announced, reforming her attempts at escape anew.

"Hey; you're not busting out of this… give up." Hamazura stated.

"…If I do this, I won't be able to fight my father… but…" Mordred's body began to glow. "I can't afford to let things end here…!"

She was using her mana burst skill to attempt an escape, but the Power Lifter proved as strong as Hamazura claimed it. Mordred began to scream as she overclocked the skill, funneling large amounts of her mana to it in an attempt to escape. Eventually, the Power Lifter's hands began to part, and the moment she could, she dashed out of the machine's grip and shot forward.

She passed by Touma, and for a brief moment, she glared at the boy. It didn't last long, as Mordred's body blasted through the debris that had contained the unlucky Kamijou in the alleyway for so long, and was out of sight shortly after.

"Damn it all… it didn't work… so close too…" Leivinia sounded disappointed, but not exactly upset by the sudden turn of events.

"She really had to work to pull that off… I doubt she'll be fighting much… are you ok Boss?" Hamazura asked.

"A little roughed up… but I'll live; don't worry." Touma responded.

"Boss; the only remaining active clash appears to be across the city, what should we do?" Mark asked.

"Considering circumstances… it must be two masters duking it out… let's go take them out." Leivinia suggested. Mark nodded and the two began to move.

"That's what she's doing… what do you think man?" Hamazura asked.

"…Birdway is right; this has gone on long enough. Let's end this." Touma stated confidently.

The group of four then moved out, eager to finally but this conflict to rest.

* * *

 **And so the clash between Mordred and Kamijou comes to a close... Next time we see how things are going down between Albert and Lazarus**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure.**

 **Have a good day!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	17. Clash of Ideals

**And here we are again... time to jump into a different fight.**

 **Update schedule has changed; it will be one chapter every two days. The background work you folks don't need to worry about is done, and that means I will be able to upload quicker.**

 **Now; onto the story! Enjoy!**

* * *

To say it appeared to be one-sided was an understatement.

Lazarus Wolfchild was punching Albert Radcliff rapidly; the well-dressed magician was unable to counterattack and all he could do was to hold up his guard to block the onslaught of heavy punches from the cabal boss.

Lazarus knew Albert's strength was in his long-ranged combat, so in an attempt to end things quickly and wear down the son of the former leader, he kept things up close and personal so those long-ranged spells of his wouldn't be a factor.

Albert grunted with each blow; he was constantly moving to try and put distance between the two, but Lazarus was on top of him every single time; he couldn't hope for a chance to escape. He gritted his teeth with each blow, his anger slowly building.

"Enough!" Albert suddenly shouted, unleashing a wave of fire from his body in all directions. Lazarus quickly moved backward to dodge the flames, putting up his hands to act as a defense. Albert reached for his second handgun, taking aim quickly, but it was suddenly flung from his hand by an invisible force as Lazarus moved his hand. Before Albert could even remark on the event, the cabal boss suddenly charged ahead, flying across the ground with both of his fists ahead of him, and smashing them both into the well-dressed magician.

The attack didn't stop there, as Lazarus continued to push forward with Albert, crashing into the side of a building violently. Then, the cabal boss forced Albert upward, burrowing through the concrete using his body as a shield, until they both took off into the air. After a moment, Lazarus moved above Albert and clasped his hands together above him and then slammed his hands down onto the well-dressed magician, launching him straight back down into the building they had just burrowed through. Lazarus held out one hand above him and a black orb formed in his hand, arcing with purple electricity, before he thrust it down and launched the orb into the opening.

A pillar of purple energy erupted from the building after a short time, and as the pillar faded the structure began to collapse. Lazarus landed a fair distance away, watching the destruction unfold, inspecting for any signs of movement by his opponent.

Suddenly, two jets of water erupted from the debris and slammed into Lazarus' body, sending the cabal boss flying back into a separate structure. The streams of water cleared the way for Albert to escape the pile of wreckage, as he began walking forward.

"…I wouldn't expect anything less of you, Lazarus." Albert spoke. His suit was torn, and several cuts were red with blood. Despite the damage, Albert stood tall. "I fully expect this to be an ordeal… I doubt you'd let me escape now… so all I can is use every ounce of my power to crush you and your pathetic ideals… let me enjoy this, Lazarus Wolfchild!" Albert thrust his hands forward, unleashing jets of water from his palms. Unlike before, the water was also glowing with electricity; a combination of two spells.

Lazarus held out one hand and created a barrier of sorts to block the assault. Though he stood still, his blue eyes shined through his helm as he glared at the son of the former leader.

"What's wrong? Is this truly too much for you? This can't be all that you have if you rose up to be the leader of our cabal! Show me your power so that I can have the pleasure of destroying it, Lazarus!" Albert's streams seemed to increase in power, pressuring the cabal boss further. The barrier began to expand after that, slowly encompassing Lazarus body, but that wasn't all.

It gradually turned pitch black. It wasn't long before all that was left was a sphere of pure darkness.

"What… are you…?" Albert questioned. His eyes slowly widened as he noticed that his attack was no longer fighting against the barrier; it was now being completely and totally absorbed by it. "Shit… a darkness that eats everything around the user…is that… **Almagest!?"**

As if to answer his question, the black sphere suddenly doubled in size and shot forward, intending to swallow Albert whole. He thrust his hands down and unleashed torrents of water to propel himself up into the air, dodging the attack. The black mass collided with the debris, but it didn't even slowdown is it devoured everything in its path. When it reached the middle of the wreckage, it suddenly began to rumble and expand, enveloping everything around it. After a few moments the black orb emanated a bright white light, before breaking apart completely.

All of the structure's remains were gone, and there was now a rather large noticeable crater in the ground, while Lazarus Wolfchild hovered in the air over it, completely unharmed.

Albert didn't want to admit it, but the end results of that attack terrified him.

Almagest was supposed to simply devour everything around the caster if the description of it he was given was to be believed, but this went far beyond that; it was like the spell Lazarus used denied the existence of all other things, reducing everything it touched to zero.

"You monster… is that the true nature of your magic!?" Albert shouted as he hovered in the air due to the streams of water he controlled.

Lazarus turned to face the well-dressed magician, and pointed two fingers at him. Almost immediately Albert's arms slammed into his own torso, canceling out his magic as his hands were forced closed and he quickly found that he was no longer able to move.

"What… the hell!? You… bastard!" Albert cursed. Lazarus motioned his fingers toward him and Albert was suddenly flung towards the cabal boss. In the last moment Lazarus chambered a fist and punched Albert across the face, launching him through the air.

Albert landed with a thud, but didn't have time to recover as Lazarus suddenly shot down from the sky and smashed his knee into his stomach, causing the well-dressed magician to cough up blood. The cabal boss wasn't finished, as he began to repeatedly punch Albert's face with both hands. Each below had the sound of an explosion as Lazarus' metallic fists truck Albert's head, and each one came faster than the last.

Albert suddenly screamed and thrust his hands into Lazarus' chest, and in an instant the cabal boss was enveloped by electricity. Lazarus did not make a sound, but his body contorted and twisted as the electric current ran though him.

"This is the end for you… the end of your rule, and the end of your plans!" Albert shouted, as jets of water suddenly shot out, propelling the cabal boss backward. Lazarus landed in the path his Almagest left behind; a cleanly crafted dirt path. Suddenly the dirt rose up as Lazarus stood, enveloping his body; he used his telekinetic power to destroy the prison but it was forming back around him faster than he could repel it, and it wasn't long before all that was visible was Lazarus' armored head.

"Hah… hah… you truly are strong, Lazarus… against anyone else, your onslaught would have crippled them…" Albert spoke. "But I have a mission… I will bring about a new age of prosperity to the cabal… I will not ask to be forgiven, for if the cabal benefits then my actions are just!"

Lazarus only narrowed his eyes as he glared at Albert. After a moment, the well-dressed magician raised his right hand into the air, and electricity flowed freely upward, forming into an orb of electrical power that slowly grew as more energy was merged with it.

"I will give my best regards to your sister, and make sure she is well taken care of… as compensation for you handing over control to me with your final breaths." Albert spoke. He made it clear how he intended to spin the story, but he did not grin or smile; he kept the stern face of his up until the end.

Unfitting leader or not, Lazarus Wolfchild was a member of the Solution to Nothingness; a cabal that would soon be his. Their clash proved not only how powerful Lazarus was, but how much it would hurt his faction to lose him; Albert detested the thought of purposefully weakening his side.

But it was necessary; soon he would lead the magi of the Solution to Nothingness into a new era. It would be an age of prosperity so radiant that the dark strength of Lazarus Wolfchild would be soon forgotten.

That was Albert Radcliff's dream; a dream he would sacrifice whatever he found necessary to achieve.

"…Do you have any last words? Carve them into the ground with your power, and I will be sure they meet their intended recipient… so long as they do not hinder my authority. That is the final mercy I shall grant you." Albert spoke.

Lazarus did not move, nor did he make any attempt to imprint any kind of marking on the ground around him.

"…Fine; suit yourself. I will craft a meaningful reply on your behalf, so close your eyes and welcome death's sweet embrace." Albert spoke. He reeled his right hand back, ready to throw his next attack, but something gave him pause.

Lazarus' head seemed twice as large as it did a second ago, but in the instant he noticed it, it was back to normal. The prison of dirt the cabal boss was trapped inside warped and twisted, but Lazarus made no attempts to escape. Albert looked around and noticed the buildings curving and twisting into weird abnormal shapes and figures. He began to feel uneasy, and this feeling quickly turned to nausea, as even the ground below his feet seemed to distort.

"What are you…?" Albert asked as he looked around. His eyes widened as suddenly recalled what was told to be a powerful spell.

One belonging to the void; the very energies Lazarus manipulated with his own magic. It was almost always focused on destruction, and this was no different; upon seeing the side-effects it was displaying, the identity of the spell was certain.

It could only target a single foe, but it was undeniably the most powerful void spell, that slowly and painfully erased its victim from existence.

"You bastard… it's as if… the laws of the universe mean nothing…! This is… your… **Grand Cross!** " Albert shouted loud, moving to thrust the orb of electricity down to strike Lazarus.

Before he could even move, the distortions of space ended, and four large orbs that seemed to encompass and endlessly shift between all colors formed around Albert and slammed into his body.

He screamed as loud as he could; the pain was unimaginable. He could no longer maintain the spell in the air, and the orb of electricity faded away. It appeared that Albert was suffering from electrocution, but this couldn't be further from the truth.

In reality, it felt like Albert's entire existence was being completely torn apart. His body, his mind, and his soul screeched as they were slowly eroded and ripped to shreds. The orbs began to change colors much more rapidly, eventually appearing white, and then they began to glow. The negative effects accelerated as the orbs grew brighter, and Albert began to feel himself slip away; as if his entire existence was being split and sent to another realm.

Two green beams suddenly erupted from an alleyway, blasting right through two of the orbs and causing them to explode violently, which caused the other two to detonate as well, sending Albert spiraling through the air.

Lazarus' eyes widened as he used his telekinetic power to free himself from his binds once more, but he was caught off guard by a surprise attack, as he was suddenly struck across the head, sending his body flying like a cannon ball. His helmet was sent flying, landing down the street.

Albert slowly pushed himself up, trying to take in his surroundings. The damage has was incurring was severe… he did not know what the Grand Cross would have done to him if it had been allowed to complete, but he reasoned that it was better that the orbs exploded instead. He looked ahead to face his unexpected savior.

Lazarus' face was finally revealed as he jumped to his feet. It was well defined and mature; some would call him handsome to an extent, and he appeared to be in his thirties. His shining blue eyes appeared more distinct outside of the metallic cage, and his short white hair was now visible. He frowned as he laid eyes upon his sudden attacker.

"Interruption completed Mugino… I think these two have super had enough fun, don't you think?" Kinuhata popped her knuckles as she stood opposite from Lazarus.

"It was fun to watch… but now it's time for business." Mugino gave off a twisted grin as she stood across from Albert. "We need you two for information… so we can't exactly let you two kill each other, can we?"

A new clash began as ITEM officially joined the fray.

 **-Academy City Streets-**

"Man… this thing is really convenient, Hamazura!" Touma called out.

"Damn right; this one right here is my favorite." Hamazura replied. "Don't go scratching off any paint, understand?"

The group was making excellent time as Hamazura operated the Power Lifter. Touma, Leivinia, and Mark rode on the machine's thick arms as it trudged forward.

"We should be closing in… by my estimate, about six or seven minutes more, boss." Mark spoke.

"Sound's good. Full speed ahead Hamazura!" Leivinia proudly declared.

"Yes ma'am!" Hamazura happily replied. They continued on for a few minutes before suddenly two men jumped from a rooftop across the street and landed in an alleyway close by, quickly moving to run down it.

They both were moving extremely quickly, and thus were hard to see in the darkness of the night, but the sounds the two made upon their landing gave the impression that they were both male.

It was faint, but Touma could have sworn that one of the individuals was wearing a red coat in the brief time that they were visible. Hamazura moved to stop the Power Lifter at the sight of the duo.

"…The hell? Are some level 4's running around after curfew?" Hamazura commented. "…I just had another thought; with all that fighting going on over there, especially after a collapse building, shouldn't Anti-Skill be getting involved or something?"

"It's more than likely a people-clearing field keeping them away… though the lack of activity at all is troubling… someone in charge must be purposefully suppressing the response to it all…" Leivinia joined in.

"…So wait; someone up top is stopping Anti-Skill from rolling out? Part of me wants to believe that's to save lives… but the more realistic part of me can't help but think they're up to something…" Hamazura stated.

"…I hear someone… familiar?" A voice resonated from above as two more individuals dropped down, this time landing in front of the Power Lifter.

"…Emiya-san? Tohsaka-san? What are you two doing here?" Touma asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Shirou responded. "We're chasing two guys… we thought they might have just been a couple of Espers, but they ambushed us awhile back… magic all over the place as a result."

"One of them is definitely a Servant." Rin added. "I can track the mana from the magus… but the other guy is basically a null; I can't read anything off of him. We're lucky that the magus used some kind of big healing spell a while ago; mana is radiating off of him and I wouldn't be able to track him otherwise."

"…You remember the last time, right?" Touma asked. "Emiya-san, when you had assassin, he had an ability that could work like that, right?"

"You're right on the money… it's called Presence Concealment; it's a class-skill belonging to the Assassin Class." Shirou answered. Touma's brow furrowed as he processed the information.

"…Hey Birdway, do you think you, Mark, and Hamazura could wrap up things over there?" He asked.

"Considering their acting as a conduit to attract literally everyone who can use magic with their fight right now… I'm sure everyone else will be there soon, so we'll probably be fine. Why do you ask?" Leivinia replied.

"Because I have a bone to pick with that Assassin." Touma said as he hopped off the Power Lifter.

"Hold on… You sure you are cool heading in? It might be a chore to get through alleyways, but this sucker can help out." Hamazura asked.

"You don't have to worry about it; we can take care of him." Shirou stated.

"…I don't know man." Hamazura replied, still quite opposed to Touma chasing after Assassin and his master without his support.

"It's alright man, I'll be fine." Touma replied. "I was actually hoping you could do me a favor and look after Index for me since you're heading that way already."

"…What's with this obvious death-flag!? Are you trying to convince me you're going to be fine, or are you low-key trying to get me to follow you and just don't want to admit it!?" Hamazura shouted.

"L-let me finish damn it!" Touma fired back. "Listen… like Birdway said, anyone who's involved with magic will end up there, so Index is bound to show up… I was hoping you could look after her until I can get over there…"

"…You sure boss?" Hamazura asked.

"There are not many other people I'd trust with her safety." Touma answered. "I'll take care of my business with Assassin then I'll be over there; I promise."

"…Alright, you got it." Hamazura answered. "You just clean things up quick, alright?"

"You got it." Touma nodded. With that, Hamazura nodded back and trudged on his way down the street, carrying Leivinia and Mark.

"You sure it's alright to send them off?" Shirou asked.

"It's a personal thing… so I'd rather keep as many people out of it as possible." Touma replied. "I'd try to convince you two, but I don't think you'd let me run this solo after everything that's happened so far."

"What do you know; he's learning." Rin teased. "I still have a solid lock on them… shall we go?"

"Only a little bit more and we can wrap up this situation; let's do it!" Touma replied. The group then made haste to chase down the duo of Jonathan and Assassin.

Hamazura kept up his pace, looking back on occasion.

"Birdway… think he'll be fine like he says?" He asked.

"Not a chance in hell; his reputation is what it is for a reason you know…" Leivinia replied. "…But knowing him, it won't kill him. So… we just have to clean this situation up and make our way back as quick as possible... Mark; you know what to do right?"

"Understood." Mark nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out a single card.

The Ace of Swords of the Minor Arcana. He threw the sword and it flew with great speed, moving in-between buildings until it was out of sight. After a few moments, Mark suddenly vanished.

"…Where did he go?" Hamazura blinked.

"He went to speed things up a little bit."

 **-Battlefield-**

"Parry, parry, parry!? I saw you putting up quite the fight against the mute, but now you can barely do a god damn thing!?" Mugino shouted as she fired four Meltdowner beams simultaneously. Albert did his best to hold his ground, but his exhaustion and the damage he was suffering from was getting to him.

It didn't help that the only magic in his arsenal that could stop the green beams of energy was his electric-based spells. He was an Elementalist, so being cut-off from support of his other branches of magic really hurt him in combat. The most he could do was hold off the attacks for a short time to dodge; the chance to counterattack basically didn't exist due to the sorry state that Lazarus Wolfchild left him in.

Speaking of which… the battle Lazarus was involved in was… going in a rather different direction.

"H-hey! Put me down!" Kinuhata screamed as she was spinning around in the air. Lazarus was looking at the floating girl with a rather bored expression on his own exposed face, constantly spinning one finger, which appeared to be the mechanism that controlled Kinuhata's movement.

Lazarus was just as bored as his expression displayed; Kinuhata hit hard and managed to get the drop on him, but her Offence Armor was a complete miss-match for his Telekinesis; so much of one in fact that Lazarus actually felt bad about using it on her.

He continued to spin Kinuhata in the air as he shifted his gaze to watch Mugino bully the winded Albert. He was contemplating whether to stay and finish the job, or let the girl handle it; Lazarus' only real plan with Albert was to work out a deal, but with such clear opposition displayed such a desire seemed impossible, so if he was going to be taken care off by someone else, it didn't affect Lazarus' plans in the slightest.

He lowered his finger, causing Kinuhata to fly into the ground with a loud crash, and appeared to make up his mind, but the result of this internal deliberation was never displayed.

"Two of Swords," Sounded from behind, catching the cabal boss off guard. Suddenly he felt his mind and body being forcefully separated with enough force that it disrupted his telekinesis as he was forced into a struggle to keep himself conscious. He turned, eager to retaliate against his attacker, but was met with a sudden kick across his exposed face, ending him back.

Mark Space now stood across from Lazarus Wolfchild; the effect of whatever spell Mark used ending shortly after they separated. The cabal boss seemed ready to engage a new foe, but was caught off guard by a sudden attack from behind.

"I'm not super done with you yet you bastard!" Kinuhata rose up once more and attacked Lazarus from behind, punching him square in the back. Lazarus flew forward due to the force, passing by Mark, who immediately followed the assault with one of his own, unleashing a blade made of compressed air by using a card labeled at the "Five of Swords," launching him further.

"…He is just as resilient as what was reported." Mark stated.

"No kidding… thanks for super helping out…" Kinuhata panted.

"We aren't finished yet." Mark continued.

"…Yeah I know… super sucks…" Kinuhata rose and put up her fists once more, as the cabal boss rose once more.

Albert's battle however was nearing its end. He flew back after attempting to block one of Mugino's strikes, but his strength was starting to fail him.

"S-shit… has my power deteriorated this much…!?" Albert cursed as he forced himself to his feet.

"Too bad… looks like you couldn't keep up… don't worry; I need you alive so I'll just cripple you for a little while… no hard feelings, right?" Mugino fired another Meltdowner, aiming for the middle of Albert's right thigh.

The attack was halted in its tracks when Mordred suddenly appeared, slashing the beam and destroying it with her Clarent.

"I have returned, master… I hope that I am not too late." Mordred spoke, holding Clarent's blade toward Mugino.

"Could be better… but I can't exactly complain… you saved me, Saber." Albert spoke.

"And how the hell did you do that!?" Mugino cursed. "No simple piece of metal can withstand my ability…!"

"I'll be sure to pay you back for the insult; insinuating that this sword is just your typical chunk of steel is a quick way to die, you wench." Mordred replied. Red electricity suddenly arced off her blade as she aimed the blade's tip at the number four esper.

"…So that's how. Cheeky bitch…" Mugino spoke as more green orbs formed around her.

"Mordred… we need to retreat." Albert stated. "My mana reserves are at their limit… I can't fight any longer."

"…I can see that… but I don't think this girl is going to let us walk… I'll have to at least incapacitate her…" Mordred replied.

"…Do your best, and be careful. If it takes a downturn, I'll use a command seal." Albert stated. Mordred nodded and suddenly shot forward, ready to cleave Mugino in half.

However, someone else appeared, moving around from behind Mugino to meet Mordred's blade.

"Damn it all… you would appear now of all times… father!" Mordred shouted as her blade wrestled with Artoria's own.

"…Mugino; I shall handle this one. Do what you will with her master." Artoria stated. Mugino was confused as first, but she quickly began to grin.

"With pleasure!" Mugino replied, eager to attack Albert once more.

Shifting once more, Lazarus stood tall, ready to duel the two ahead of him… or at least, that's how it appeared.

He suddenly raised both of his arms up into the air and channeled energy into two black orbs that formed in the air just above his hands. They grew larger and began to take on the form of massive spear heads as more power was funneled into each one.

"…That's not good; any ideas?" Kinuhata asked.

"One… but I don't know if it will stop it…" Mark held up another card, the Eight of Swords this time. Lazarus held the spears of darkness high and threw his arms forward, hurling the twin spears toward the two with great speed.

However, the voice of a girl range out, suddenly speaking of coordinates in Hebrew, as well as a short phrase akin to an order, and in an instant the spears where flung right back at the cabal boss, colliding and exploding on contact.

"I'm… glad I made it in time…!" Index panted as she ran forward, the tiny magic god Othinus riding on her head. "A-Artoria-san suddenly shot ahead… so I ran here hoping this was where she went…"

"You came just in time… we were in super trouble…" Kinuhata stated.

"…You really should stop relaxing your guard; Lazarus Wolfchild is still alive." Mark stated. True to his word Lazarus stood in the epicenter of his own attack with his arms up to shield him. His gauntlets were darkened and his exposed skin was cut, as well as several openings now appeared in his pants, revealing that he was wearing more armor underneath. Lazarus slowly lowered his arms and stared down the trio.

He glared; the constant obstruction of his goal was starting to get to him.

Lazarus Wolfchild was not a happy man.

Mordred and Artoria clashed swords repeatedly as Albert moved to dodge Mugino's attacks. Steel met steel over and over again, until they locked at their guards, struggling to overpower the other.

"What's wrong, Mordred? You had so much fire in you the last time we fought." Artoria spoke as she forced her blade forward.

"Sorry to say, but you're not the first one I threw down with today." Mordred spoke, shifting into a smirk afterward. "That friend of yours isn't half bad… you know? He really can hold his own…" Artoria narrowed her eyes as Mordred's words sank in.

"…What did you do to him?" Artoria spoke, her words full of venom.

"That's for me to know, and you to try and force out of me…! Did he live, die, or somehow overpower me… hard to tell, don't you think!?" Mordred shouted as she pulled back to swing once more, while Artoria did the same with fury behind her strikes.

Albert panted as he fended off another assault from the Meltdowner. Due to his weary status, he fell on his back after blocking the last attack.

"Curse you… if I was still fresh, I'd be able to end you, witch!" Albert shouted.

"Maybe… maybe not, but let's not find out… it really is too bad I need you for information… otherwise I wouldn't have to treat you so delicately…!" Mugino replied. "I'll make you an offer; come along quietly and I won't burn a hole through your spinal column to stop you from running away, fair?"

"Go to hell…!" Albert spat.

"Don't say I didn't give you an option that would have let you keep your legs." Mugino replied. She fired off two blasts more, intent on crippling the man in front of her.

A vine out of nowhere suddenly grabbed ahold of Albert's left arm and pulled him to safety.

"Again with this shit!?" Mugino cursed, looking to where Albert was suddenly taken, only to see an old man standing with a cane, and the area around him seemed mysteriously… overgrown with vegetation.

"Sorry for my lateness Albert, but the study took much longer than I thought." The Sage of the Wildwood spoke.

"…So we are finished here?" Albert asked.

"Indeed; I have the secrets of the spell locked away in my mind… and the destruction of the circle was absolute when I was finished." Sage spoke. "No one other than me and Minho know of the spell to force a Grail War… the only ones left capable of such are the creators of the grail themselves."

"…I understand." Albert spoke. "Mordred, we are withdrawing!"

"…Understood." Mordred spoke and suddenly pulled back, leaping to stand alongside Albert and the Sage.

"Mordred! Get back here this instant!" Artoria shouted; her anger quite evident.

"He's fine," Mordred spoke. "He was saved from my blade, so don't you worry your little head about him."

"…What are you after here?" Artoria demanded with her blade aimed toward the trio.

"We are already finished here… all that we need is Rider to finish with the collection process and we will be able to depart." Sage spoke.

"…Civilian transport?" Albert asked. Sage shook his head.

"I received word from Caster… she is finished; we no longer need to hide in the shadows." Sage spoke.

"There is no god damn way I'm letting you pieces of shit get away from me!" Mugino shouted as she began to fire off her Meltdowner rapidly. Mordred moved in front of the two magi and deflected each shot with her electrically powered sword.

"…I suppose we need a diversion." Sage spoke, reaching into a pocket on his robes, pulling back a few seeds. "My friends, take root and spread; show this city that nature is not dead." He threw the seeds at the two girls. The seeds suddenly burrowed into the ground of their own accord.

"You think a few little seeds are going to stop me!?" Mugino shouted, reaching into her pocket for something.

"Hold on… get back!" Artoria suddenly grabbed ahold of Mugino's arm and jumped back. Without warning fully-grown trees of varying breeds burst from the earth below, fully obscuring the trio. Artoria and Mugino made quick work of making a path, but by the time they were finished, their targets were gone.

The fight against Lazarus was slowly turning against him, as Index's presence with her Spell Intercept practically cut off the cabal boss' arsenal of spells, leaving him with only his telekinetic power. While it was still effective, fighting off Kinuhata as well as Mark's ranged attacks was proving more difficult than he expected. He eventually found himself with his back to a wall, and as the two were closing in to attack, he flung them both through the air and made for an escape by taking to the sky.

A sudden geyser of water erupting from the side of a building he was close to quickly shot that plan down, and an attack of earth from below further made that very clear. Lazarus blasted the stone apart with his telekinesis, but he was unprepared as a massive metallic fist suddenly slammed into his chest, launching the cabal boss into the side of a building.

"…Looks like we lost the master of Saber… but it looks like we won a cabal boss instead!" Leivinia spoke as she and Hamazura made their way into the battlefield. Lazarus slumped down from the wall until he hit the ground. He then slowly pushed himself to his feet; the fatigue of numerous battles finally getting to him.

"Seriously… this guy is no joke. What is he super made of?" Kinuhata asked. "Guy's been non-stop fighting since he super broke into Academy City, and he's only just now starting to tire himself out… he's a monster…"

Lazarus narrowed his eyes, glaring at the group in front of him. His gaze shifted to Mugino and Artoria, who had just been fooled by Sage and were now beginning to make their way over to him. The cabal boss closed his eyes as he finally stood up fully once more. He thought for a moment before putting up his guard, his body suddenly beginning to radiate with power; streams of black energy wafted off his form, growing in number over time.

"Boss; he's preparing something." Mark stated.

"It won't matter much; he may be the leader of the Solution of Nothingness… but he has nothing to do with Minho or even the other masters except for one… he's negligible." Leivinia spoke as her symbolic weapon changed into a sword and unleashed a blade made of compressed air at Lazarus, which hit with a mighty roar, kicking up a large cloud of dust. Leivinia smirked, but this quickly faded as the dust settled.

Because what stood in front of Lazarus was what appeared to be a large Spartan Soldier with his shield held in Lazarus' defense. And behind the Spartan was a man with red hair and a red robe.

"Master… what is his condition?" The Spartan asked.

"…He'll be fine, Lancer." The robed man, known only to a few as Dand Kokinos, replied.

"…A Lancer…!? Shit!" Leivinia leapt off the Power Lifter and rapidly made her way over to the trio.

"Lazarus… it's time we get out of here, don't you think?" Dand asked with a big hearty smile. Lazarus blinked with confusion, but smiled back. Just as Leivinia arrived to strike, the trio shot up into the air, under the influence of Lazarus' telekinesis. They flew off, successfully disengaging from the battle, moving to dodge several projectile attacks from Leivinia and Mugino, before they dived back down into the cityscape, vanishing without a trace.

"Fucking hell… where did those two come from…!? Do we have an information leak or did they just tail us by chance…!?" Leivinia spat.

"Lancer's arrival was very last minute… he was not in the area until around the time your attack landed… it was a very close save; too close to have been planned." Artoria stated.

"…Rules that out I guess… but still…" Leivinia still appeared annoyed.

"Events of war… anything is possible. Don't dwell on it too much boss… there is always the next fight." Mark spoke, attempting to comfort his superior.

"…I suppose…" Leivinia sighed. "Did we get much out of this? Why was Lazarus even here?"

"He got super ambushed by that guy Mugino decided to fight with… they didn't seem to be friends…" Kinuhata stated.

"We know that Assassin and his master are here too… maybe he came here trying to hunt down Assassin? He seemed really angry when he saw Noellia's body…" Index stated.

"So… he followed them for revenge… was ambushed… but that man was Albert Radcliff; the son of the former boss of their cabal… why was he here in the first place…?" Leivinia thought out loud.

"As you pointed out, he appears to be the master of Mordred … he was saved by an old man with a cane that appeared to control plant life… their association could mean that the old man was a master as well? He mentioned Rider specifically." Artoria stated.

"Sounds like they were tight; their at least comrades… sounded like the old man was calling the shots based on what he said though." Mugino added.

"…And what did he say?" The blonde cabal boss asked.

"He said they got their hands on what they were after… just said that he was waiting for Rider to get something… seemed important." The Meltdowner replied. Leivinia crossed her arms.

"…Where is Takitsubo right now?" Leivinia questioned.

"She is super close; she's been hiding for a while to stay out of the firefight." Kinuhata stated.

"…Let's get her then go find Kamijou; I'm starting to get a bad feeling about whatever this Rider is after." Leivinia replied.

 **-Academy City Streets-**

"You've… got to be kidding me!" Jonathan spoke as he clashed blades with another. He was currently locking blades with Shirou, who had jumped down from a rooftop, cutting off his and Assassin's path.

"Your sword unleashes spells whenever it's swung… but it seems like if I stop the swing like this it fails… interesting." Shirou stated as he restrained Jonathan's sword with two of his own, Kanshou and Bakuya. Assassin held an executioner's axe in hand, surveying the surroundings.

"…The other one is nearby… still up above waiting for an ambush? Very well… then I'll end this quickly." Assassin turned, ready to support his master.

"You're not killing anyone else, Assassin." A voice rang out from an alleyway. After a moment, Kamijou Touma walked out with a sour look on his face, staring down Assassin.

"Damn it all…! You again…!" Assassin gritted his teeth as he refocused his attention on the unlucky Kamijou. Touma kept walking until he stood across from Assassin, a fair distance away.

"You're not getting away this time." Touma spoke simply, making his intent clear.

Another clash in Academy City began, but the fighting in this city would soon be over.

* * *

 **And now we're at the bottom... how much of a monster do you guys consider Lazarus now you've seen him fight seriously? I'm curious to seeing people's reactions.**

 **All and all, I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure; I still adore feedback.**

 **Take it easy my friends!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	18. Trial

**And Here we are again... not much to say this time.**

 **I Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Well… I suppose this is far enough… is anyone following us, Lancer?" Dand called out. Currently he had Lazarus Wolfchild heaved over his shoulder, who had a bored expression on full display. Lancer on the other hand was following close behind. They had just exited Academy City, and now stood a fair distance away from its walls.

"None that I can tell… not a Servant around and no military pursuit… it seems they're intent on letting us leave." Lancer answered.

"I suppose we should take that mercy, lest risk angering a military power… here we go!" Dand set Lazarus down against a large stone. "We're still exposed… but at least there are trees we can use to make fire for the night so we don't freeze in these cold winter months!"

"I'll keep watch just in case… the cold has little influence over me." Lancer stated.

"Understood. If you feel inclined however, you're more than welcome to join us… we will have some time to kill before Lazarus is in good enough shape for a full flight back home, so perhaps some old war stories could help pass the time, yeah?" Dand offered cheerfully.

Lazarus simply sat where he was placed; now that he had stopped moving, the exhaustion of what he had put himself through was starting to eat at him. He had been constantly active since he discovered Noellia's fate, throwing out magic and using his abilities on a whim, as well as taking damage from his clash with Albert and the others.

To say he was exhausted was an understatement.

"You've been running yourself so hard… come on; relax a bit before you drift off! I found your favorite!" Dand reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small clear bottle. It was unlabeled, but judging from the coloring it appeared to be whisky.

Lazarus took the bottle with a curious look, pointing to it with his free hand and cocking his head to the side.

"…Erm… I'd appreciate it if you didn't hassle me about where I got it since it's no longer made… I'd also appreciate it if you didn't tell my wife how I got it; I was supposed to have kicked the sauce to the curb last year and all that…" Dand rubbed his neck.

Lazarus looked back at the bottle, and promptly shrugged. He popped open the bottle and drank, grasping it with both hands. After a moment he stopped, letting out a pleased sigh as he did so. It was like he had suddenly forgotten the events of the day, as he now carried a rather joyful expression.

"I swear… you act more like a child than actual children do when you get your hands on something you like." Dand spoke with a laugh. This earned the man in red a glare from the cabal boss, which only seemed to make the large mage laugh harder.

A few moments of silence passed as Dand got up to collect branches for a fire. Lazarus had set the bottle down and was rocking back and forth as the effects of the alcohol seemed to take effect on him, helping him relax. Due to Lazarus' unique physical condition, it would take a lot more than a swig of whisky to get him drunk, but a pleasant buzz was a different story entirely. It wasn't long before Dand returned and started the fire, and the two seemed to silently enjoy the heat.

"…Lazarus," Dand called out, his face turning serious. "…Do you remember the first thing you saw when you woke up…? Your sister's crying face?"

The cabal boss seemed to perk up, focusing on Dand and listening intently.

"I know you can't read her mind like she can read yours… but she is still your sister; you're her only remaining family member. She can tell you're alive by the link you two share, but she was still worried about you. She fears that time when that link will suddenly be cut... like it almost was back then. I know you're tough, because you went head-to head with all those folks and were still alive… but you shouldn't worry her like this." Dand spoke his mind freely, as he too began to take a swig or two form the whiskey bottle.

Lazarus' eyes drooped as he looked down. He had come here alone, and Victoria must have sent Dand after him. The cabal boss let out a depressed sigh, but looked up when Dand passed him the bottle again.

"If you understand, then learn from it." Dand stated. "This life of ours is too short to spend wallowing in sadness. We have too much ahead of us to remain in the depths of depression… My wife and I were married just last year, but we still don't have a child yet… and I remember that girl from that coffee shop you were awfully sweet on… eh?"

Lazarus looked away, appearing embarrassed. Dand laughed at the reaction.

"What I am saying is that there is so much more to life, that we can't afford to stray from the path too long… there will be times to be gloomy, but a simple mistake or failure is too insignificant in the long run… understand?" Dand spoke.

Lazarus slowly turned back to face the man in red and nodded.

"Then it is time to move forward! Come now; relax and enjoy this brief time of peace with me, my friend!" Dand shouted loud and proud. Lazarus nodded and the two resumed taking turns with the whisky. It wasn't long however before the cabal boss succumbed to his exhaustion and passed out. Dand eyed Lazarus for a moment before smiling and calling his Servant over to him.

"I know it might be a pain… but I'll be leaving you in charge of the fire tonight. I'm counting on you." Dand stated.

"I can do that I suppose… but you didn't mention what has happened back in the United Kingdom… is that wise?" Lancer asked.

"…I understand your concern… but the only person who knows this guy any better than me would be his sister… if I brought that up, he'd want to take off to deal with it… it'll be better this way. I'll tell him in the morning when he's actually had a chance to recuperate." Dand answered. Lancer nodded and resumed his patrol.

Lazarus continued to sleep as the crackle of fire softly rang out.

 **-Academy City Streets-**

"…So you have come before me once more. Is it safe to assume that this man is with you as well?" Assassin began.

"That's right. Don't worry about him too much… the only person you should be focusing on is me, got it?" Touma answered.

"And what business do you have with me? I am much too busy to entertain children." Assassin stated.

"To pay you back for what you did to Noellia Revan." Touma announced. Assassin narrowed his eyes as he began to think.

He had to help Jonathan with his foe; he was far too exhausted to properly deal with a battle with another magus. The boy in front of him he remembered from London, as well as the brief events he witnessed from Leivinia Birdway's memories, stood before him intent on challenging him. But a third unknown assailant was likely waiting close by.

His thoughts then turned to his Noble Phantasm. He could use it to almost invariably remove at least one, but with his mana supply as it was, only one could be taken care of with this way. He didn't have enough left in him for multiple uses, and it could only target one person at a time.

He weighed his options for a time, but the pressure was getting to him; his master didn't have much time left before his opponent would defeat him.

"Here I come!" Touma announced, running full speed toward Assassin. It was here that he made his choice of what to do, and proudly lifted his executioner's axe into the air.

Above all else, he must help his master, but the boy in front of him would be the largest obstacle with his right hand.

"If you mourn so much for that woman, then I will send you to her!" Assassin announced as he swung his axe down. He pulled back in shock when he saw Touma easily evade the strike, but wasn't fast enough as Touma punched Assassin across the face with his right hand. Assassin came back with a sideways swing, but Touma slammed his right hand into the axe, shattering it with Imagine Breaker, before striking Assassin once more.

"That can't be all you got you bastard!" Touma shouted.

"…You know, an accepted form of execution is death by firing squad, right!?" Assassin held out his hand, and a rifle appeared. He quickly took aim, ready to fire, but wasn't fast enough due to the proximity of the two and the rifle was shattered by Imagine Breaker, just like the axe, and then Assassin was struck across the face by Touma's right hand for the third time. Assassin stumbled backwards for a time.

"…I don't know if you're exhausted or not, but you're not really suited for fighting, are you?" Touma asked, ready to attack again.

"…Hold your tongue, boy. Children should respect their elders." Assassin flicked away a small stream of blood from his nose.

"Respect is earned, not given. If you want it, try doing something worth respecting other than killing random people on a whim and then we'll talk." Touma shot back.

"…Do you really know nothing, boy…!?" Assassin shouted. "I am Maximilien Robespierre! I am the one who ended the reign of King Louis XVI, and I will not stand here and be insulted by a boy who knows so little of what I am trying to do! I will bring justice to this world and those that live here!"

"Was killing Noellia really just for the sake of justice!?" Touma shouted.

"What the hell do you even know, boy!?" Assassin shouted. "Did she really mean that much to you?"

"Of course she did! We might not have been particularly close, but I understood what she felt; the pain of loss and failure… she was just trying to protect herself and those kids from those people trying to attack her! Even though she was the one who cast the spell, I don't blame her, and all I wanted was to set her on the path she truly wanted in her heart… and you had the nerve to say that because I wanted her to be happy that she had to die!?"

"I told you; the path you put her on would have put her at odds-"

"You don't know that!" Touma interrupted. "There's no way you could have known… that anyone could have known… you can't go killing and hurting people based off assumptions like that! If that's your excuse you might as well kill every last man, woman, and child!"

"The chance of it happening was all I needed… for our wishes to be granted, there is no room for error!" Assassin shouted, forming an executioner's axe once more. "You're wasting your breath… my justice is not so flimsy that it could be dissuaded by the arguments of a simple child."

"To hell with your justice! If your ideal vision of the world is for the people who live here to just die the moment they become inconvenient to your plans, then I'll become the greatest villain in all of history to shatter that pathetic vision of what you call justice!" Touma shouted, running at Assassin once more.

That pushed him over the edge. His irritation turned to full anger as he gritted his teeth.

He had to use it now; he had already announced his name so the boy's fate was sealed.

"…The very justice you seek to destroy will be your end, Kamijou Touma!" Assassin shouted, holding his axe high into the air once more. **"Reign of Terror: Executioner's Trial!"** Once more, the name of Assassin's Noble Phantasm was called, and a bright light rippled out and consumed the area.

 **-Courtroom-**

"What… is this?" Touma asked, confused.

"This is the National Convention of the Revolution; where I once served… here, I shall assess your guilt based on the events of your life. If you are deemed corrupt, unjust and treacherous, your fate is sealed. There is no escape here for you…" Assassin announced.

"Cheap trick huh…?" Touma spat from the podium. Assassin began scanning the boy's mind for his evidence, but he suddenly began to stare at the unlucky Kamijou.

"…Boy; how old are you?" Assassin asked.

"About sixteen now, what's it to you?" Touma asked.

"When why do you only have six months' worth of memories contained within you…?" Assassin asked.

"…Take a good look into those memories you're invading rather than just skimming, and the answer should be obvious." Touma replied. It was clear at this point that Assassin could pull memories of his for the trial, but only memories he held; what was absent due to him losing his memories could not be used against him.

"…I see. I will not dwell on it for a moment longer, for I have the perfect piece of evidence to satisfy all three charges against you, Kamijou Touma." Assassin announced. "…The events that transpired after Othinus returned the world to normal after becoming a complete Magic God."

Touma didn't respond as he glared at Assassin.

"Othinus and her organization are responsible for the deaths of quite a few people… she tried to force a turn in the United States Government through manipulation and mind control. She even managed to completely destroy the world… and torment you personally; she killed you over ten-thousand times… and yet when the world was returned to normal, when justice was to be carried out, you turned your back to those people to defend this monster, saying that she must be saved… you saw her own acts of corruption, treachery, and bore personal witness to her unjust actions… yet you chose to spare her. You decided to side with this beast, and as such you carry the very same weight! Her sins are yours as you decided to protect her, despite everything! You obstructed the very definition of justice as it was about to be carried out and only for your own selfish desires! Is that not true, Kamijou Touma!?"

The men in the courtroom spoke amongst themselves, whispering with each other.

"Answer my question… did you or did you not obstruct justice that day!?" Assassin shouted.

"…Yeah, I chose to protect her. You're right; I could have just let everyone have their way with her and gone home… but I rose up to defend her..." Touma admitted. "…But; you got a good long look at my memories, so can you say what everyone was going to do to her after she returned the world to normal justice?"

"…Excuse me?" Assassin spoke.

"She was without a doubt guilty… but can you say that what was about to happen with everyone ready to murder her was justice!?" Touma shouted.

"That is hardly a case here; she was a criminal to cause harm to innocent people. She even ended all of existence for a brief time; how can you say that she was free from punishment?"

"She wasn't," Touma began. "She was guilty, I agree entirely… but that doesn't mean she deserved to just be killed and be done with it! Where was the law? Where was the due process? Where was the trial, like the one happening right now!? Where was the chance for her to defend herself or her reasons!? Where was the justice in just killing her out of fear!?"

"Defend herself? You speak as though she had a chance in court!"

"I doubt she would have… but even so, every person deserves a chance to say their peace! To make their case… no one deserves to just be killed without a chance to defend their actions, even if she would be judged as guilty! It's the principle of the rights we have as human beings!" Touma shouted. "You said to me that you were responsible for ending the reign of King Louis XVI… I don't know who you are, or who this specific king was, but I can tell by the fact that this is a courtroom that you were either some kind of lawyer or a judge… but you took care of him with the law, right? Or did you walk up to him with that axe your holding and cut off his head yourself!?"

"…You are correct… King Louis was dethroned and sentenced to death through the legal system as you suggest, but these two matters are hardly equivalent… or do you suggest that the actions that he took on are somehow comparable to that of the Magic God Othinus!?" Assassin shot back.

"There's not a doubt in my mind her actions carried a heavier weight… but King Louis still had a chance to defend himself as a human being, right?" Touma asked. "It's the principle of the thing; despite what she had done she had the basic human right to defend herself!"

"After all of that, you still suggest that the beast you protect could even be remotely considered human?"

"Who the hell are you to decide who is human and who isn't?" Touma asked. "Even the greatest monsters of human history are still considered human, regardless of what they did… so why is she the magical exception to that? Or is it that you feel that you have the right to tear away the humanity from people just because you feel like it? There is no way I can stand by and say that is justice!"

Silence filled the courtroom; not even the bystanders in the back galleries even dared utter a word.

"…Do you think that the punishment Othinus was rendered… to be reduced to that of a fifteen centimeter creature, is enough of a punishment to fit the chaos she had brought forth?" Assassin asked.

"Can you think of a greater punishment for her?" Touma answered.

"…Your actions were corrupt because you decided to seek out a way to save the life of the monster that destroyed the world. Your actions were unjust because you tried to deny the punishment rendered to this girl. And finally, your actions were treacherous because you turned your back on the entire world just to save that one person. Are you really going to argue otherwise?" Assassin finished his summarization.

"…All I can do is argue from my point of view, just as I always have. I may not be always right or correct, but I'll still argue my points as I am able to see them, because that's all I can do in my position. In my eyes, I saw someone about to be murdered… so I acted. Even if she was guilty, she deserved a chance to defend herself… just as everyone else does." Touma stated.

"Is that your final statement?" Assassin asked.

"It is… I have nothing further to say. Do your worst, Assassin." Touma responded. Silence once more filled the courtroom.

"…Very well, let us end this session." Assassin ended the silence, turning towards the jury to his left. "What says the court!?" He demanded. There was a slight delay as the members of the jury deliberated amongst themselves. After a few minutes, one of the members of the jury rose to speak.

"We, the members National Constituent Assembly, have reached our verdict…" The man spoke. "We the court, in the case of Kamijou Touma of Academy City… find that his actions were indeed in the pursuit of justice, in the same vein that we seek to this day, and as such, declare him innocent of all charges! Release this boy at once!" Assassin's eyes widened as the man rendered his verdict. The remaining men who made up the jury repeated the man's demand, and soon so did the men and women watching from the galleries.

In an instant, before Assassin or Touma could speak, everything suddenly faded to white.

 **-Academy City Streets-**

"Innocent… they… found you innocent…!?" Assassin remarked in complete disbelief. Assassin was suddenly breathing heavily; it appeared that having his Noble Phantasm backfire had a nasty effect on his stamina and mana supply. Both he and Touma were now once more in Academy City.

"…I guess so." Touma replied. "But… trial or not… I'm not finished with you yet."

"You little… I'm not going to accept this!" Assassin managed to form his executioner's axe once more and he swung it down, attempt to catch the unlucky Kamijou off guard. However, a swift hit from Touma's right hand shattered the axe instantly, and he moved into Assassin's guard as he was stunned by the sudden act.

"If you think you can just rig the system of law and order so you can kill off whoever you want, allow me to fix that corrupt train of thought by shattering that fucked up illusion of yours!" Touma smashed his right fist into Assassin's face once more, sending the man flying back. Assassin slammed into the ground with a loud thud.

"A…Assassin…" Jonathan choked out, seeing his Servant fall.

"Alright… takes care of that…" Touma stated. He turned to face Shirou and Jonathan to find them both still locking swords, but otherwise frozen, looking straight at him. "…Hey, is something wrong?"

"…Hey, level with me here…" Shirou spoke up. "…What was that about you only having six months worth of memories…?"

"…Y-you heard that!?" Touma shouted.

"…I also heard something about someone killing you over ten-thousand times…?" Jonathan spoke up next.

"Is… that what was difficult to talk about last time I was here…?" Shirou asked.

"…So… you somehow heard everything… such misfortune…" Touma sighed heavily.

"…Probably since we were in the cast area but you were the target… I remember something similar happening when Assassin tried to use it on Leivinia Birdway…" Jonathan spoke.

"…You two had a run-in with Birdway? No wonder you two are exhausted…" Touma rubbed his neck. "B-but listen! The ten-thousand deaths things is something I'd rather have you not talk about, but you must absolutely promise me you won't tell anyone about my memory issues! Ok!?"

"Is there a way to fix it…?" Shirou asked.

"…No… the only thing I can think of is maybe magic can do something… but my right hand would destroy whatever is recovered… look, just keep quiet about it… certain people… can't find out, ok?" Touma spoke in a pleading tone.

"You know I can't keep a secret from Tohsaka-san but… I'll do my best." Shirou commented.

"…Bah, if cast radius is a thing, Tohsaka-san probably knows too; she was up above keeping an eye out for anything suspicious… it's going to be a tougher to keep her quiet…" Touma scratched his head.

"I'm starting to think you two forgot that I'm here…" Jonathan stated with a deadpan expression.

"…You want to keep this up? I can keep going if you still have a bone to pick." Shirou replied.

"…Nah…" Jonathan pulled back with a sigh. "I don't think I can keep up with both of you at once… especially like this… seriously though; you are something else; from what I understand its common to kill off masters once they've lost in a grail war…"

"I'm not a real participant, and even then I'm not like most magi around…" Shirou pulled back as well. "Try to backstab us and you'll regret it, understand?"

"I got it, I got it… leave Assassin alive and I won't mess with you any more…" Jonathan stated.

"You make it sound like we were intending to take him out… I just had a point I wanted to make, so everything's square on my end." Touma spoke. "Though… Birdway is after you for information in Minho… but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it…"

"…I really have a long way to go." Shirou sighed. "You're really amazing, Kamijou-san… such a simple ability but you've been able to survive so much… and keep your sense of self intact and still fight for what you believe in… I have a long way to go before I can be a Hero of Justice on your level…"

"…Being a hero isn't something that you are, rather than something that you can be." Touma replied. "To me, anyone can be a hero if the situation is right; that all you have to do is be there for someone in need. There's no real ranking system to be concerned about… just extend that helping hand is all you have to do to be a hero."

"Ah, so that's why you refuse to let people call you one…" Shirou stated.

"Eh… it's more along the lines of me doing what I want, but that is part of it." Touma shrugged. "I'm here because I want to, I'm acting because I want to, and I'm saving people because I want to… kind of hard to call selfish desires like that heroism."

"…Just acting based on your desires… that's new to me…" Assassin called out as he lay on his back. "Tell me then… from the mindset of a selfish hero like yourself… is my path of seeking justice wrong?"

"No," Touma answered quickly. "It was your actions that made you a villain." Touma moved to stand over Assassin. "…Admittedly, there are times where justice calls for someone to be killed… it's just a simple fact and sometimes it's unavoidable… but more often than not though, there is a different way."

Touma held out one hand to Assassin, offering to help him up. Robespierre stared at his hand with a confused look.

"Even… after killing her? Trying to kill your friend… and trying to kill you? I am your enemy…" Assassin spoke.

"That was before… and sure; Birdway is going to be angry with you… but what's done is done." Touma replied. "You did some nasty stuff, and you're going to have to work hard to atone for what you did… but I'll give you that chance to do it. If you want to see what I mean, all you have to do is take a chance and reach for it."

Maximilien Robespierre was dumbfounded; after all he had done, Kamijou Touma had decided to forgive him? And was even offering to help him?

Part of him wanted to toss Touma's offer aside… yet another part of him beckoned him to take that hand and see what this boy's brand of justice had to offer.

Assassin slowly reached up. Touma smiled lightly.

That smile faded completely when a wave of bright yellow light suddenly fired from just over Touma's shoulder, completely obliterating Assassin in an instant; not a single piece of last behind.

"That series of events was wonderful… a true play fit for only a king… the drama… the despair… the kind of trials and tribulations only humanity could experience and hope to endure. Sadly… the play is now over, and with that, the king moves to collect his next prize." A man spoke from behind. Touma turned to face the man with his face full of anger.

The man had short black hair, dazzling golden eyes, wore a large white cloak draped over his shoulders with golden jewelry spread across them, golden plates reaching around his sides near his stomach, and an elaborate golden-plated belt at his waist, and black pants that opened below his knees. He had a noticeable smile on his face, and had someone heaved over his shoulder.

The person the man was carrying was none other than Tohsaka Rin; clearly unconscious.

"Who… the hell are you…!?" Touma shouted in anger. The man's smile shifted into a smirk as he began to speak.

"I am the Rider, Ramesses II; the King of Kings… but you can simply call me Ozymandias."

* * *

 **Welcome to the bottom my friends. Ozymandias has appeared once more... just what is he after?**

 **I hope that you all have enjoyed. Review at your Leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day everyone!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	19. Disaster

**Welcome... now we start to get into more of the intensity that this story has to offer.**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"You…! You killed Assassin you bastard!" Jonathan shouted. "Do you understand what the fuck you just did!?"

"Of course; I removed a participant from this war who had clearly lost… is that a problem?" Rider asked.

"You son of a… put Rin down right now!" Shirou shouted.

"As you wish." Rider then hurled Rin's unconscious form at Shirou with great strength. The Hero of Justice managed to catch her, but slid back a fair distance due to the force.

"You bastard… I'm not going to let you-"

His words were stopped when a beam of light smashed into him, blasting him back with enough force to render him unconscious as well.

"Seriously… how rude can you be… it's not like I killed her or anything." Rider shrugged his shoulders.

"You bastaaarrrddd!" Touma run forward and threw a punch, only for Rider to dodge to the side quick enough that it gave him an opportunity to grab the boy's wrist.

"Eager to fight… I commend you for your bravery!" Rider spoke as he suddenly kicked Touma in the stomach, launching him tumbling back. "There will be time for us to clash, but for now I must ask you to be patient."

"I'm… going to make you pay for this!" Jonathan shouted as he moved to Rider's right side. "I now face west, so Eurus of the east wind, I call upon your terrible power to crush this foe! ORA!" Jonathan swung his blade, unleashing a large blast of compressed wind to strike Rider. However, a large section of wood suddenly appeared and blocked the strike completely.

"…I suppose Assassin was his Servant… so it makes more sense that he is angry." Rider commented as his gaze focused on Jonathan, the large section of wood dematerializing.

"I'm not done! ORA! ORA, ORA ORAAAA!" Jonathan repeated his battle cry repeatedly with every swing, each one unleashing a similar blast of compressed air. Rider appeared bored, as each attack was countered by a newly appearing section of a wooden ship, blocking them all completely.

"If you cling so much to the power of the Greek gods, then allow me to display for you the power of the Egyptian deities!" Rider shouted. At his word, the wooden segments began to glow brightly before discharging numerous blasts of light that all hit Jonathan. The sword-wielding magus was launched back as he cried out in pain, rolling across the ground before going quiet.

"Why you…!" Touma slowly pushed himself to his feet.

"Now that the nuisances are dealt with, now I can truly get down to business." Rider commented, the wooden ship sections vanishing once more.

"Who… the hell do you think you are?" Touma asked when he finally rose up to two feet once more.

"…Ah, you must not be particularly familiar with me… very well; I shall introduce myself properly..." Rider announced. "I am known as Ramesses the Second, the King of Kings, third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, the very one who ruled in the time that Moses freed the Jewish people from Egypt, but I humbly request that you address me as Ozymandias…"

"…What do you want? Whatever it is it's not here! Did you come here just to kill Assassin!?" Touma shouted, but Rider shook his head.

"While that Servant's annihilation was indeed a must… what I'm here for is very simple indeed." He spoke. He then raised his hand and pointed at the Unlucky Kamijou. "My friend… I have in fact come here for you and you alone… rejoice that you have earned a personal audience with the King of Kings!"

"You're… here for me…?" Touma backed up slowly.

"Of course… I have come for the great and mighty Kamijou Touma! A living legend, ender of wars and defeater of gods! At first I scoffed at tales of your success and found your very name an insult… but even I must admit the more I see of you, the more I can believe them…" Rider spoke. "…Tell me, where is that tiny Magic God of yours? I am very interested in meeting the other divine figures of this world."

"…How much of this have you planned?" Touma asked.

"Dodging the question… I suppose that means she isn't here… how unfortunate." Rider replied. "To answer your inquiry, none of this has been planned… I just wanted to see where the events resolved, so I played the role of a silent observer… and upon seeing the conclusion I desperately wanted to witness, I have decided that it was now time to claim what I wanted…"

"I'm not going to let you take whatever you want without a fight!" Touma shouted.

"Of course… I would be shocked otherwise." Rider smirked. "You did very well against the Saber, keeping her angry and frustrated to throw her off her game… and even managing to keep up with her when she managed to clear her head. But Assassin was so much of a disappointment… I doubt he really even counts… I may not be a proper warrior myself, but I'm sure you'll find me much more entertaining than that sad little man…"

Touma ran forward, throwing a punch, but just as it would connect, a beam of light from Touma's left smashed into his body. Rider took full advantage of this and slammed his knee into Touma's stomach, sending him tumbling back once more. Touma tried to push himself up, but a sudden stomp to his shoulder stopped him in his tracks as he howled in pain; the attack was enough to dislocate Touma's shoulder.

"You see… that's the difference between me and Saber… she was so riled up and ready to carve you in two, she didn't even think about how to counter that nasty ability of yours…" Rider commented. "Imagine Breaker is an amazing ability… but the way around it is simple… make it impossible for you to use it."

"You… won't get away with this…!" Touma spat. Rider smiled as various wooden pieces of a ship formed in the air.

"Yes… your friends will come to save you… we are fully aware of that… but I'll let you in on a little secret…" Rider knelt down next to Touma and spoke into his ear in a hushed whisper. "…That's exactly what we want…!"

Touma's eyes widened in realization, but before he could act further, the wooded pieces began to shine with a bright light before discharging numerous yellow beams of energy, bombarding the unlucky Kamijou.

When the onslaught was over, Touma was left lying on the ground, out cold. Rider eyed the boy for a moment, before reaching for the boy's neck.

"…Still has a pulse… which means I held back enough; good… he's still alive. This would have been a waste of time if he had died…" Rider spoke. His gaze focused on Touma's dislocated shoulder for a time before Rider forced it back into place, moving it around to test its range of motion to make sure did it correctly. "That looked sickening… and we're going to have to clean you up too, won't we? No one will try to chase after you if you look like you're already dead." Rider ruffled the boy's hair playfully.

Rider glanced around; the two he had struck weren't moving. He smirked as he reached around Touma's waist.

"Alright, up and at 'em!" Rider hoisted the unconscious boy over his shoulder. A curved staff, the same that pharaohs were said to use as king, appeared in his other hand. "Mission complete… now; he said when he was finished that they would be making for an exit over the north wall… so I suppose I should make my way over."

Rider began to walk, but after a short time he stopped in place, looking around carefully. He felt something was rapidly approaching. After a moment he suddenly turned, swinging his staff around, which then met solid steel as he blocked a blow from Artoria Pendragon, who had approached from behind. Rider was quick to jump back, making distance between the two.

"I will ask this only once… release him immediately." Artoria demanded.

"Sorry; I can't meet that demand. My master needs this boy for something special…" Rider replied.

"…Then I have no choice." Invisible Air dispelled, revealing Excalibur in its full glory.

"Be careful… if you unleash a Noble Phantasm this little guy right here is going to get caught in it too…" Rider warned. Artoria narrowed her eyes as she prepared to leap forward. Rider held out his staff, ready to battle.

Artoria couldn't unleash Excalibur's full strength; if she did Touma would be caught in the blast, even if it was just a partial release, but if she could get in close and somehow remove him from Rider's grip, that restriction would be removed.

The sound of several footsteps could be heard quickly encroaching on the battlefield, including a set of heavy metallic ones.

"…! Oh no, Touma!" Index shouted.

"Put him down right now you miserable sack of flesh!" Othinus shouted from her spot on Index's head.

"…Hold on… a small little woman? Oh, are you the great Othinus I have heard about?" Rider smiled.

"…Little huh… I'll show you how to treat a Magic God with respect after I've ripped out your earlobe!" Othinus shouted.

"…Birdway, think those runes you used on my Power Lifter can do anything here?" Hamazura asked.

"Well… the leftover mana would let you hurt a Servant with it… but the actual effect- Hey! Hamazura, get back here!" Leivinia shouted as Hamazura and his Power Lifter suddenly raced forward, chambering a fist.

"Put him down right the fuck now you son of a biiiitch!" Hamazura shouted as his Power Lifter threw a punch. However, Rider jumped up and landed on the arm of the machine for a brief moment, before jumping again high into the air.

Rider did not descend however, as a wooden floor appeared in the air below Rider's feet. Slowly, more of the ship came into being, taking the form of a large Egyptian-styled boat. It was turned to the side, allowing the group below to see its full length and size, while Rider stood in the middle. Though it gave the impression that it was made of wood, an unnatural golden glow signaled otherwise.

"You…! That's your Noble Phantasm, isn't it!?" Artoria shouted.

"Although this is only one of them, that is correct!" Rider announced. "This is **Mesektet: The Solar Ship of the Dark Night;** enjoy its glory for the brief time you are able to witness its full magnificence! Do not to worry about the fools who challenged me below… if I was to kill them, things would have become less interesting…"

"You're not getting away… don't think I've forgotten the trouble you put me through back in the United Kingdom you bastard!" Mugino shouted.

"Give him back! Give him back right this minute! Or so help me…!" Index threatened.

"Relax your tiny hands, for your chance to retrieve this boy will arrive in due time!" Rider announced. "A grand affair will take place… one you will not be able to miss, I assure you!"

"I've had enough of this… Kamijou might get hurt but he can fucking heal-up later; blast this fucker out of the sky!" Leivinia ordered.

"Until then… I bid thee farewell." Rider finished as his ship's unnatural growl began to intensify. A barrage of dazzling beams of light rained down from the ship, carpet bombing the area.

The group held up their hands to block the attack, but there was no need.

Each beam of light missed; not even the three that were unconscious were hit.

It was a complete distraction. Rider could have killed them all in one fell swoop, but he refused under that guise of wanting a more interesting conflict.

However, it was very much a fact that the King of Kings had taken custody of Kamijou Touma, as the two were gone when the lights finally faded out.

 **-Next Day, ITEM's Apartment-**

"…I want to home and get Sphynx… at least then I'd have something to distract myself with…" Index rested her head on a table in main living room. The group had decided to retire for the night, and although Index had wanted to head back home, the ITEM girls revealed that they had a much larger apartment, so they went there instead.

"That's risky…we don't know if they're still in the city…" Leivinia replied in a bored tone. She was actually in a similar position as Index on the same table. Artoria walked in form another room, closing the door behind her.

"Shirou and Rin are still resting… how is he doing?" Artoria asked.

"As if I could sleep in the middle of this." Jonathan spoke up. He was currently tied to a chair with its back facing a window, his sword removed and placed on the main table in front of the couch. He was currently being subjugated to torture at the hands of Kinuhata, who used this time to plant clothespins all over the man's face.

"He's not super breaking yet Mugino… should I try putting a few dabs of hot-sauce under his tongue?" Kinuhata called out.

"I already gave you all the information I had! You know everything that I know! Go get a telepath esper or something if you don't believe me!" Jonathan shouted. "Besides; what kind of torture is this!? Am I some kind of misbehaving middle schooler old or something!? Or is this some kind of frat hazing ritual from the United States!?"

"It's a PC kind of torture that won't piss off Hamazura." Mugino answered as she leaned over the couch and rested her hands on it. "…Though that's not a bad idea… though the only telepath I know is the number five… what are the chances of her actually agreeing to help us?"

"Mention that Kamijou Touma has been captured and she'll drop everything to make her way over." Othinus answered. She was currently using Jonathan's sheathed sword as a seat.

"…Really? Her too?" Mugino asked with a deadpan expression.

"I'm surprised you haven't been affected honestly." Othinus turned to face Mugino.

"…He's too nice for me. My type is very specific… though Kinuhata seems to of taken a shine to him." Mugino shrugged.

"…Have I?" Kinuhata asked, pausing for a moment to think. "…I never really super thought about it… at this point I'd give it a shot if he asked but… I donno."

"Can we talk about something other than Touma's love life? It frustrates me enough as it is." Index groaned.

"…I agree." Artoria nodded. "Several of us here are still upset; we should avoid discussing him unless it's necessary."

"Does that super include you?" Kinuhata asked.

"…He is a valued warrior as well as a good friend; of course I am saddened by his capture." Artoria spoke. "But even in these dark times, we must keep a level head in order to examine every possibility… in times like these we must be vigilant to save him."

"…Fair enough. We won't super talk about it anymore." Kinuhata shrugged.

"Keep talking about it; the more you do the less pain I feel!" Jonathan cried out.

"Come on you big baby… a little hot-sauce never hurt anyone." Kinuhata stated.

"You shoved the entire bot- effgh!" Jonathan was interrupted as the bob-cut girl promptly shoved the hot-sauce bottle she was holding into the man's mouth once more.

"Oh… what I wouldn't give to be able to find that Rider piece of shit and slug him… Christ." Hamazura sighed as he was lying on the couch resting his head in Takitsubo's lap.

"I think we all share that sentiment… but we don't even know where to start looking… we can use Artoria as a Servant detector… but we don't have much to go on otherwise." Leivinia remarked. Mark placed a mixed drink next to the blonde cabal boss, who was quick to grab it and drink the whole thing in one gulp.

"…If they got what they want, they are probably heading back to the UK… but who knows if that's true…" Hamazura commented. "I find it hard to believe that in the entire spectrum of magic, that there's nothing you can do to try and track them down, Birdway."

"Magic doesn't work like that… your ignorance is starting to give me a migraine…" Leivinia replied.

"…I may have an idea." Takitsubo announced. She had been fiddling with her smartphone as she came across something.

It was a breaking news story, though it was just the headline.

"Flying fortress slowly making its way to London: Foreign Invasion within the Country's own Boarders?" Takitsubo read out loud.

"…What the hell?" Leivinia asked in confusion. "That can't be real… that's too obvious!"

"…If that's breaking… then…" Mugino grabbed a remote for the TV and turned it on, changing the channel to a basic news station.

"…For those just tuning in, we are currently still getting details about a large 100 square kilometer fortress that appears to be flying through the air on a direct course for London." A female news anchor described. "Most details are unknown, but what is known is that the structure is flying at a constant speed of forty kilometers per hour, according to field reports. Additionally, no contact has been able to reach anyone or anything inside, but military actions have been unsuccessful; missiles or fighter jets sent in have all been shot down by mysterious beams of light. Due to the unknown nature of the attacks fired from the structure, questions have been raised if Academy City is somehow responsible, but they have claimed innocence. Please stay tuned for details about this event as they are reported…"

"No question… that is magic." Index stated. Leivinia is quick to nod in agreement.

"But it's in the middle of broad daylight… who the hell is controlling it and what are they doing…!?" Leivinia asked. The news anchor stopped speaking and put her hand to the headset she wore for a moment.

"…This just in, a video containing a manifesto directed to the Queen of England, as well as the British government, has been released by the supposed perpetrators. While it was directed towards the United Kingdom, numerous news outlets have been given a copy as well… I just got word that we too have one, as soon as we are ready we will begin running it."

After a few short moments, the news feed was replaced with a video focused on a lone woman with long black hair, pointed ears, grey eyes with slit pupils, who wore an elegant black dress. She was sitting on a throne of some kind, and after a moment she began to speak.

"…To all those who are watching, and to those who are the true intendent recipients of this… I offer you my humble greetings. My name is Semiramis… and I sure you I am indeed the real thing… the fortress you all see is mine; my divine **Hanging Gardens of Babylon**. I will make this as simple as possible… my only demand is that the British Government, as well as the Queen of England herself, relinquish all ruling authority of the British isles to me and me alone; do so and no further loss of life or destruction of property will occur. However, refuse my demand… and this fortress will fire indiscriminately upon the grand city of London, and I assure you that even from this distance every part of the city is within my firing range. Invasion is impossible… although I welcome you to try and breach my walls… I must first warn you that the destruction of my humble home may have… unintended consequences."

Semiramis, the Caster, snapped her fingers and lights lit around her as the camera panned to the right, revealing Rider standing next to the queen of the castle. He held none other than Kamijou Touma up by his neck.

"…That… bitch…!" Leivinia cursed. After a moment given to allow everyone watching to see who was being held, the camera panned back to Caster, who began to speak once more.

"Now... to those who do not know who this boy is… then this message is not directed to you. But to those who are… and to those who remember the events of British Halloween… you should understand exactly how grave of a situation this is for you… I hold his life in my hands… and if this fortress goes… he goes with it. Now… I patiently await a reply… but please… don't make me wait."

The video ended there. The news anchor continued to speak as the video ended, but the group was hardly paying attention anymore.

"Is she fucking insane…!?" Leivinia stood up. "After the events of World War Three… just about every major magic organization knows who he is… all of their members may not know but still… whether they are part of the half of the world that want's Kamijou dead or the half that wants to join him, they're all going to flock to that fortress in droves!"

"…Maybe that's what they want?" Mugino suggested. "Kamijou has a larger presence in the United Kingdom magic communities, doesn't he?"

"He has connections all the way to the Queen herself…" Artoria replied.

"…So it's a super trap." Kinuhata stated. "They want those groups aware of him, either for or against him, to show up… there's no other super way to explain that since they sent that all over the place… I mean; even news groups in Academy City got ahold of the information.

"They are aware of his influence… and they want to use it for something… but what…?" Index spoke.

"…So the real question is… when are we heading after him?" A male voice spoke up, revealing it to be Shirou as he walked into the room. Rin wasn't that far behind, they must have woken up soon enough to overhear the news video.

"…We need a way on board without being shot down first." Leivinia stated.

"Well… you need a way to fly in, right?" Jonathan suddenly spoke up. "I don't know how many I can bring along, but we could try to fly up from below."

"And why are you offering? You are our captive; know your place." Mugino spoke. "Besides, even if we agreed they likely have defenses for that… I find it unlikely that there are only a few people there; likely the entire fortress is manned."

"Then let me do something else to help you guys out!" Jonathan demanded. "…That kid is alright by me… sure he beat the crap out of Assassin but in the end he was just trying to help him out… help him get over the stuff he was going through in his mind…"

"Even so…" Leivinia trailed off.

"Look, I'll do anything, alright!?" Jonathan shouted. "I may not be combat ready for a long time with how low my mana is and how beat up I am, but I can probably get a few people in there at least! And if you don't like that idea, let me help you guys get whatever it is you need… I want to do something to help out that Kamijou kid, and if it fucks up that Rider's day, I consider it a bonus… please…"

The group was skeptical of Jonathan's words, but shortly after he had finished pleading, Hamazura sat up and pushed himself to his feet.

"…You want to help out? Good, cause I just got a really stupid idea." Hamazura spoke.

"…A stupid idea? Or a Hamazura-y idea?" Takitsubo asked.

"A Hamazura-y idea." The dirty blonde smiled. "First, we need a transport ship… small and hard to notice, but large enough to carry everyone going along. We can probably find something like that real easy, but the second half will be the difficult part… if you exclude invading a magical flying castle from the equation."

"Oh? And what's this infamous second half?" Leivinia asked.

"The second half… is why we need a little extra support, because we're going to be pissing off the Academy City higher ups." Hamazura grinned a little. "We just need to break into a hangar somewhere and get our hands on a Five_OVER suit… after that you can leave the rest to me."

 **-London-**

"I'm not sure which is more of a problem… the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, or having to attend this meeting…" A woman with long blond hair spoke as she sat. She had bright blue eyes and wore a beige robe. The room was full of other magi sitting at a single round table.

"As much as we would all like to raise up everything we have to strike down this threat… such strategy meetings are important, Laura Stuart." A man with long black hair and a black outfit replied.

"Oh… I did not take you for the bloodthirsty type Lord El-Melloi the second… or should I use that old name you used to go by, hmm?" Laura playfully replied.

"Do it and I'll fry that glorious golden hair of yours." Lord El-Melloi replied.

"Scary, scary~" Laura mocked.

"…Archbishop, this is an official meeting… try to keep up something of a serious attitude." A man with red hair and a black cloak who stood at Laura's side spoke. He was notable for having a barcode tattooed under one of his eyes.

"…Why bother? The Queen will be here soon; any sort of serious atmosphere will be blown away." Lord El-Melloi replied.

"You shouldn't speak ill of your elders…" An older woman in her fifties walked into the room. She had a decorated white and black dress as well as a golden crown on her head.

"…Forgive me, Queen Elizard, I meant no offence." Lord El-Melloi replied.

"Please; I'm just messing around… as if a wise crack at my expense would be enough to set me off… you really have to loosen up! A lot of those women at Clock Tower speak highly of you; take one of them out for a few drinks sometime and let whatever happens happen! You'll be better for it!" Queen Elizard laughed as she sat down at the table.

"…I'll pass." Lord El-Melloi replied.

"Right… I suppose we should get down to business…" The Queen cleared her throat. "Other than that video, do we have any more information?"

"All we have is speculation…" One of the many magi spoke up. "By our reasoning, it would appear that the woman is a Servant involved with the forced grail war started by the magic cabal, Solution to Nothingness. Our assumption is that the woman is the Caster, and that the fortress would be her Noble Phantasm."

"I see… how long until we can have forces prepared to act?" Elizard asked.

"I already have the Anglican Church ready to move, and I'm sure with Kamijou Touma involved, the Amakusa-Style Remix are likely to be ready as well. And don't get me started on Kanzaki Kaori…" Laura answered.

"An offensive force is good… but I was more concerned with defense. I think it's safe to say that her demands are unacceptable… right?" The Queen stated.

"You can leave the defense of the city to the magi of Clock Tower." Lord El-Melloi replied. "Covering it up will be difficult, but possible… at least until the fortress is above our heads. There's not much we can do to hide it then."

"I ask that you do whatever you can… even if magic must be revealed to the citizens." Elizard replied. "Memory-altering spells exist, and even if it's not possible… letting this invading force take root here could lead to an even greater disaster and just open acknowledgement of magic."

"…It pains me to admit it, but I'm inclined to agree." Lord El-Melloi replied. "We will do whatever it takes to hide our efforts, but allowing the Caster Semiramis to rule cannot be permitted."

"Will you be taking the front line, my Queen?" Laura asked in an almost joking fashion. Elizard laughed.

"I think I would be much more valuable in making sure the people in London are safe." She spoke. "But… my daughter Carissa has been in a foul mood since this news broke from what I hear… maybe she would be happy to join the fighting forces."

"But that's not all… right?" Lord El-Melloi asked. "…I've been hearing rumors from the tower of London prisons… are they true?"

"…I suppose that is a route worth considering… and he has been a good boy since his imprisonment… maybe it's time for a little parole for him." The Queen replied.

"Oh don't hold out on us… just say it already." Laura spoke with a smile.

"What can I say…? I can hardly believe it myself; it is a true miracle." Elizard smiled as well. "William Orwell walks this world as a Saint once more."

 **-Unknown Location-**

"Alright… you've been tracking me all over town; what's this about?" A male with a feminine look to him with long blond hair and blue eyes spoke. He was a participant of the Illegal Grail War, as well as arguably the strongest member of the GREMLIN Organization.

He was the Almighty Thor.

"Heh… would you believe I'm just a really aggressive girl-scout?" A girl of about twelve years old with long black hair replied. She was currently tied to a chair and had a thin tail of sorts coming from her short skirt.

She was less notable: she was Lessar of the small group known as New Light.

"Oh I don't know… here; you get three guesses. If you guess wrong all three times, I'll make sure you don't live to witness the wonders of true puberty…

"Guh… a flat joke huh… you're the worst! I have at least small A's!" Lessar shot back.

"…I actually didn't mean it like that… but now that you mention it…" Thor smiled as Lessar hung her head in defeat.

Suddenly a large metal cylinder rolled into the room and gently hit the back of Thor's leg before mysteriously standing up on its own.

"…? What is it Mjölnir?" Thor asked. Slowly, a cellphone poked out of the cylinder's body, displaying a headline referring to the fortress in the sky, while the story details the existence of a hostage, revealed to be Touma by the picture. "…Ah, did you get a little attached back there? That's cute!"

The cylinder known as Mjölnir hit Thor by tipping into him. This caused blonde god to laugh.

"Right, right, sorry…" Thor apologized. "Guessing Marian is still sore about losing to him and doesn't want to go?" The cylinder made a motion similar to a nod. "Alright… hey girly-girl, do you know about this?" Thor took the phone from Mjölnir and held it out to Lessar.

"My name is Lessar! I told you that over ten times!" She fidgeted around before looking at the news article. "…You've got to be kidding me! London is under threat and the biggest possible asset to New Light has been captured!? Gah! Get me out of here; I'll mess that pompous Queen bitch up something good…!"

"…For some reason I'm not surprised." Thor shrugged and handed the phone back to Mjölnir. "Luckily for you… me and my pal here are going to be heading up… and we need a meat shield; you in?"

"…Really? A meat shield?" Lessar deadpanned.

"…Does associate sound better? I mean… it doesn't change what I'll be using you for… buuuuut it'll get you out of those ropes if you say yes!" Thor said.

"Cut me free, but I'm not interested in being a meat shield!" Lessar shouted.

"Good! Keep shooting to ascend from your assigned role! I'm rooting for you!" Thor promptly cut Lessar free, and the trio made their way to the outskirts of London; they had a flying fortress to invade.

 **-Academy City Streets-**

"You've… got to be kidding me!?" The third ranked level 5, known as Misaka Mikoto, shouted as she gripped her own phone tightly. "How… when! I know he sent me a message that he was heading up to the United Kingdom for something, but how the hell did this happen!?"

She was just as mad as she was frustrated. She was working on a special project behind closed doors related to an object known as an Anti-Art Attachment, but it was nowhere near close to ready yet.

"Come on… please let this be some kind of joke…!" Mikoto practically begged to no one particular.

"Calm down, third-rate." A gruff voice sounded form behind her. Mikoto turned to see the number one esper in Academy City, Accelerator, walking up to her.

"…What do you want?" Mikoto asked in an annoyed tone.

"Fuck off; I wouldn't chase down your narrow ass if it wasn't important…" Accelerator spat. "…Guess with you acting like that, you already saw the news then."

"…Yeah." Mikoto replied. "Is it real? This seems too random to be true."

"I just got back from his apartment… he's not there. Hoax or not the unlucky fucker isn't home." Accelerator answered.

"Wait… you have a key to his place?" Mikoto asked.

"…He leaves his patio door unlocked, probably because he's got a room on the upper levels." Accelerator answered.

"…So it's real then…" Mikoto looked back at her phone. She suddenly let out a soft cry as someone hugged her from behind; she could feel two very soft things pushing up against her back as well.

"Mi-sa-ka-san~" A well-endowed blonde girl, the fifth-ranked level 5 known as Shokuhou Misaki, held the third-ranked level 5 rather affectionately from behind, though from the look on Mikoto's face it was hardly a welcome occurrence. "You should really trust the news more often… not all of it is fake like most would have you believe, you know."

"Back off you dairy-cow!" Mikoto shouted as she pushed herself away from blonde girl.

"I detect a hint of jealousy… fufu~" Misaki joked.

"…What the hell do you want bitch-tits?" Accelerator asked gruffly.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation… could it be related to a certain someone?" Misaki didn't seem bothered at all by Accelerator's rude comment.

"…You too? Seriously?" Mikoto let out a deep sigh.

"He might not remember me, but I remember him clear as day…" Misaki smiled brightly.

"…Fuckin' hero does get around, holy shit." Accelerator cursed.

"You're telling me! Guh… why do so many girls end up falling for that idiot Kamijou Touma!?" Mikoto shouted loud.

"Oho! Kamijou Touma you say!?" A voice sounded from above filled the air before a loud crash was heard across the street. A boy with black hair, a white headband, wearing a mostly white outfit with a Rising-Sun shirt currently had half his body imbedded in the sidewalk. The boy looked down to see what had happened and was quick to push himself out of the concrete and quickly dash across the street.

"Sogiita Gunha has arrived, so please tell me any details you have about the boy named Kamijou Touma!" The boy shouted loudly.

"…You just had to shout his name, didn't you?" Accelerator spat.

"How the hell was I supposed to know he of all people would be listening?" Mikoto replied.

"Allow me." Misaki took a remote out her purse, holding it out towards Sogiita and pressed a button. After a moment she pressed a button again and Sogiita seemed to snap out of a trance.

"Oho! So that's what's going on! How cowardly… kidnapping Kamijou-kun and using him a hostage! How day they!? If they are going to go to war, then at least have the Guts to fight head on!" Sogiita began to rapidly punch the air.

"…Why the fuck are you concerned with him anyway?" Accelerator asked.

"I want to challenge him and see his Guts!" Sogiita cheerfully answered. "He displayed his rather impressive capabilities the last time we met, but I have yet to feel them personally! I can't exactly witness it if Kamijou-kun has been captured, right!?"

"Hold on… Shokuhou, you didn't send him away? Why?" Mikoto asked.

"Well… I got my hands on some interesting information… it would appear that the fourth is also going after him… and since I assumed we were as well…"

"I never agreed to… wait, why is Mugino going!?" Mikoto shouted, sparks flying from her bangs.

"No idea… I just found out she has been about doing some question acts today though…" Misaki spoke.

"She clearly knows more, and simply doesn't wish to state it." Another voice came from behind the group. They turned to see a small white beetle, which quickly shifted into the form of a boy, although everything about him was white in color.

He was Beetle 5, the current entity of Dark Matter that held the most influence, otherwise he would be known by the name of the original owner of the Dark Matter ability, Kakine Teitoku.

"…So only the number six is the odd one out, huh?" Accelerator surmised.

"I can elaborate as to why… but time is short." Beetle 5 spoke. "Kamijou Touma has been a great help in the past, and I would find it unacceptable if anything happened to him."

"…So six of the seven are rolling out… kind of interesting don't you think, Misaka-san?" Misaki asked.

"…Let's just get this done and save that idiot." Mikoto announced. With that, the coalition of level 5's moved out, eager to find a way to the United Kingdom, each with a different reason to save a certain someone.

 **-New York City-**

Several more organizations and people began to move in response to the current events being revealed, but there was one who was actually amused by the news.

He stood in Times Square, the big screens around it displaying the news. He had spiked blond hair and red slit eyes, and was currently in black jeans and a white winter coat with a black shirt underneath.

"Really…? I suppose the humans of this world have grown rather confident… thinking they can steal my prize at the end of this road before I can even sink my teeth into it… although I had no idea another war had begun." The man spoke to himself.

The video played once more, and the man couldn't help but break out into a grin.

"How interesting… what have you gotten yourself into this time, Kamijou Touma…?" The man spoke once more.

"Oho! So someone else happens to know him as well!" A man suddenly called out. He was wearing a blue suit, akin to one typically worn by politicians in the United States, but something about him actually made the red-eyed male have to do a double take.

Except for his black hair, the well-dressed man's face was in the spitting image of Iskandar, King of Conquerors. Whether you argued genetics or reincarnation, there definitely appeared to be some kind of connection between the two.

"Is something wrong?" The black-haired male asked.

"…No, you just happened to look like someone that I know." The blonde replied.

"Heh… has my appearance become so common that I can be mistaken for someone else? That is a helpful thing as far as assassination plots are concerned, but my sense of individuality can't help but feel like someone just shot it with a magnum…" The black-haired male stated.

"Then introduce yourself in a way so that I could never mistake you for anyone else." The blonde suggested.

"An excellent idea!" The black-haired man shouted. "My name is Roberto Katze, and I am the President of the United States of America! Haha!" He laughed loudly.

"…So Kamijou Touma has connections as far as the figurehead of this country? He has been holding out on me I see…" The blonde stated.

"Presidency is much more than being an acting figurehead; I can reject laws with ease due to my party's control of Congress, as well as I am the undoubted commander of the Armed Forces! Even if we are not at war they must follow my commands!" Roberto announced. "You must not be very familiar with this country… are you perhaps a foreigner?"

"Indeed. I was simply amazed by the influence the boy had…" The blonde shrugged his shoulders.

"…I suppose he does have a lot of people on his side…" Roberto turned his attention to the screens all around. "Honestly, since it was our ally under attack, I was thinking of using the nuclear option… but since Kamijou Touma is on board that vessel, that's out of the question; he saved my country from certain ruin after all…"

"What is the President doing in this city then? Shouldn't you be off rallying the troops?" The blonde commented.

"I was off enjoying a small vacation with my fiancé… as well as paying a visit to my secret girl- enough about me though! What brings you to my fine country?"

"…One could say that I was enjoying a vacation of my own, and then I wake up to find this news up above." The blonde replied.

"I see… it is indeed troubling…" Roberto commented. "It is a shame… I was actually planning a trip so I could go and see him, and he finds himself misplaced in the United Kingdom again…"

"…Then why not go and see him now?" The blonde suggested. "The United Kingdom is closer than Japan, is it not?"

"Oho… I see! A rescue operation!" Roberto commented. "It would be dangerous…"

"But it would be a perfect opportunity to return the favor Kamijou Touma granted you… plus think how tickled your people would be to find that only did you save one of the United States allies, but saw their great leader on the front lines! It would be an event children would take about for generations!"

"…Indeed! This country's greatest leaders have fought in war… but none have personally done so while in office! Of course! That should give a proper boost to me in the polls for reelection!" Roberto laughed. "Sir, you have given me a grand idea today… since you have a connection to the young boy Kamijou Touma, how would you like to accompany me personally?"

"I suppose I would have to make my way there anyway…" The blonde shrugged his shoulders. Roberto laughed loud and put his arm around the blonde's shoulders.

"I believe this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship… what is your name?" Roberto asked. The blonde smirked as he gave his reply.

"You can just call me Gilgamesh."

* * *

 **If Gilgamesh seems a little OOC here... remember that he's trying to blend in. Kind of hard to do if your spamming swords and shouting mongrel all the time, you know?**

 **And so is chapter 19... watcha think? Did I throw you for a loop with where this is going?**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day everyone!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	20. Invasion of the Sky

**So... how are you guys and gals (If there even is a female audience for this story anyway) liking the sped-up upload schedule? I'm happy I can share stuff with you guys more often!**

 **Some have been asking about how the Magic System works in this combined universe, and I will say that it is a mixture of the two. As for how it's mixed... I'll leave that up to your Imagination. All that i'll say; looking at them on paper they seem different, but when one starts digging into the meat of things, there are quite a few more similarities than differences.**

 **There are some other stuff people have asked about, but most of them are actually spoilers so... can't discuss it, make sense? There are some things I'm more than happy to clarify if i can, but others... well; its a story for a reason after all!**

 **But enough about that; you people are here to read a chapter, right!?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Onee-san! Onee-san!" Yukiko tugged on Caster's sleeve as she sat at her throne. "You were really amazing, you know! Like, really amazing!"

"Of course I was… aren't I your marvelous big sister?" Caster replied. "If you're a good girl… maybe next time you can take my place."

"Ooooohhhhh!" Yukiko's eyes lit up. "Really? Really, Really!?"

"It takes a lot of hard work to make sure they take you seriously, but if you work hard you'll be able to do it." Caster ruffled the little girl's hair. Yukiko managed to climb up and find a seat in Caster's lap as the door to her throne room opened.

"Tree-Man-kun! In the next video we make, I'm going to be the star!" Yukiko called out cheerfully. The old druid chuckled as he approached the throne.

"I look forward to your performance, my dear." The Sage replied.

"Oooohhh! I'm excited now! Can we make one now? Can we, can we?" Yukiko asked, eager to perform.

"We will if we need to. Be patient." Sage replied. Yukiko began to pout but her face lightened up when the Sage patted the little girl's head. "Caster… have we received any kind of reply?"

"No… although they did stop sending those flying machines at my Hanging Gardens… I'm glad; I was getting annoyed having to take down each one." Caster replied.

"Ah, the trials and tribulations of being a queen." Rider suddenly materialized next to the Sage. "Oho… Caster; you and your master have come quite close indeed…"

"That tone of yours is implying something I don't very much care for…" Caster stated. "What can I say? I've never had a little sister before… but I don't expect the King of Kings, brother to Moses to understand."

"…You can reference my brother yes, but I will warn you only once; do not speak ill of him" Rider spoke. "Although we follow different deities, he is still very much my brother, adopted or otherwise. We may argue, but his tenacity to stand up to me as well as his devotion to his people are the very things about him I respect, and I will not have you drag his name through the mud."

"Understood… I apologize if what I said seemed insulting to his name." Caster replied with a smile.

"Sage of the Wildwood!" Albert came into the throne room next, noticeably bandaged up. "I just saw your little video; what the hell is going on!?"

"It is just as you saw; I will not hide from it." Sage replied.

"Explain to me… what the hell we are doing!?" Albert demanded. "You did not speak any of an attack on the British Parliament, and weren't you the one that spoke at length about the influence Kamijou Touma has!? You're pinning a giant dot on us and now everyone who is allied with him and the United Kingdom is going to be beating down our door!"

"Indeed… but this is exactly what my plan entails; you don't have to worry my friend." Sage replied.

"Then explain to me why I shouldn't take my Servant and leave to distance myself from this insanity!?" Albert shouted again.

"Calm down… risks must be taken to achieve progress… but I understand your fury; I hid it from you because I was afraid it would be difficult to explain how crucial this is without some substantial proof that we can succeed." Sage replied.

"…Then make it clear to me. No more secrets; I want to know everything you have in mind." Albert made his stance clear; make him understand or he walks and abandons them.

"Of course… now let me ask you simply; what is the goal of the Solution to Nothingness?" The Sage began.

"…By any means necessary, erase the void within the hearts of man, but embrace the void in which all life exists within." Albert replied.

"Of course; that is absolutely correct." The old man nodded in agreement. "This is not only a ploy to put you at the Solution to Nothingness' head, but to also to begin our grand work to making such a goal a reality. The void in the hearts of man is what causes us to do evil… to act against others in tandem with the seven great sins; pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. Humanity acts within the realms of these sins to fill that void to satisfy themselves… and to that end, it has led us to the sad state we as a species are currently in."

"I know that… but how does this change things?" Albert asked.

"Because to incite great change requires a great calamity." The Sage replied. "The British Parliament is seen as one of few bodies incapable of failure… to cause such to fall will incite great fear in those who live; if the British isles have fallen, what is stopping our home from becoming the next to be crushed?"

"…Where does the boy fit in?"

"Ah… he is part of it all." Sage replied. "Magic Organizations have come to know him either as a savior or a destructor… those who see him as a savior believe he will save us, because his great power can halt all magic, allowing us all to begin again no matter how destructive or twisted magic becomes, thus allowing magi to truly test the limits of magecraft. But, those who see him as a destructor see him as an omen that the age of magic is coming to an end; that his existence will snuff out magecraft as a whole…"

"Enough; explain to me the details of this plan." Albert replied.

"Simple… crushing the United Kingdom will incite fear in the normal citizens." The Sage began. "And we won't just end Kamijou Touma… we must end all who follow him; the ones who oppose him will gladly join us to that end. If his followers survive, they can act against us regardless of our intentions…"

"I see…If the boy dies alone, he becomes a martyr… but if his entire faction perishes…"

"Precisely," The Sage answered. "Many great magi are in his inner circle; their death will be devastating. Not to mention, the numerous factions sending their members to their death… despair will set in around the world both in the magic but political world… they will feel the void that is this existence… how small we all are, and how easy we, be it individuals or collections, can fall."

"And then we reveal our true intentions, isn't that right?" Rider spoke up.

"Of course; all will have felt the sting… the vulnerability… people will indulge in those sins to fill that void… and will despair when it fails…" The Sage explained. "…Then we reveal that our intention was to expose this darkness; this evil within our hearts that causes us to consume and violate all that we touch to fulfill our desires… once the world understands… we can begin our work to fill that void within the hearts of man."

"…My, my… how devious." Caster commented as she gently patted Yukiko's head. "Causing a level of despair like that only to suddenly reveal yourself as the one cure for that which torments the world… that's global brainwashing, don't you think?"

"Call it what you will… but something must be done to circumvent the direction the world is heading…" The Sage replied. "Numerous people have noticed it… Fiamma of the Right acted with similar intent… our actions have even roused the wrath of the long-gone Magic Gods… Othinus came to smite us and rebuild the world after all… can you imagine how far we have fallen from grace to have the Age of God's return for a brief time, only for those few returning gods to cause chaos and mayhem?"

"…Can this actually work?" Albert asked. "If we succeed here, will things actually go in the direction that you suggest?"

"They must." Sage replied. "People have flocked to our cabal in order to eliminate the void within their hearts… they've seen it… fought against it… and we have seen how much it torments them. We are not here to destroy order and cause chaos… we are here to save humanity from itself! It will work!"

"…Can you truly predict the actions that mankind will take?" Albert asked.

"Admittedly, I can only predict the general direction… but I have formed deviations and additional steps in case of inadvertent aberrations… I can assure you that even the oncoming invasion of this fortress I am thoroughly prepared for… even if the United States were to become involved."

"…Very well," Albert answered. "You have proven to be wise in the past… so I suppose I have little reason to doubt you if you are absolutely certain… I only have one question; is it necessary that Kamijou Touma lives through this ordeal?"

"It is unfortunately… many organizations will be using his life force as some kind of marker to track him… and others will be locating him by the effect Imagine Breaker has on the environment; this area is thick with mana and a sudden null spot would be a very clear indication of his location… and since Imagine Breaker will leave if the boy dies… I'm afraid he must live until our plan is complete. Rescue operations are easy to plan around… but revenge plots are much more difficult, I'm afraid…"

"…I understand. In that case, I shall return to my quarters so that our subordinates can finish my recovery… I was rather angry and charged out before they could finish… excuse me." Albert nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. After a few moments Sage sighed.

"He can be rather difficult sometimes… but working with him is a must…" Sage began to walk back to the throne, pausing after a short time. "…Although it is strange; he came here alone… where is his Servant."

"Saber? She came to me some time ago, asking where we put our prisoner." Rider replied simply.

 **-Hanging Gardens of Babylon; Dungeon-**

"…So Fake-Knight-san has come to visit this poor and sad Kamijou…" Touma sat in the middle of his cell on the floor.

"…You should really be more courteous… clearly you don't understand who is in control here…" Mordred commented. She was on the other side of the bars, standing in the hallway, looking down at the unlucky Kamijou.

"I figured you'd be here to gloat." Touma commented. "Congratulations; you have me right where you want me, now Artoria-san will have to fight you with her best and blah, blah, blah…" Touma was clearly not in a good mood.

"…You're being awfully… depressive…" Mordred stated. "Come on! Where's that fire you had before! You'd do anything to survive, right!?"

"Already did all I could think of." Touma replied. "The bars aren't being broken by my Imagine Breaker, nor are any parts of the floor or walls, so this part is more than likely specifically constructed to house me specifically… and I'm not strong enough to bend metal bars this thick with my bare hands… and it's more than clear that you're not here to bust me out either; kind of hard to keep up a peppy attitude when escape is impossible, don't you think?"

"Is… that so… heh…" Mordred replied. She had to admit; it was embarrassing to find someone she had such a difficult time fighting wind up in such a depressed state. "Clearly… you do not know where you reside or what is happening in the world around you, otherwise you would be much more frantic, begging for me to release you! Only for me to crush your hopes in the most delightful way!" She spoke, trying to sound over the top.

"If you're going to just stand there and make fun of me, go bug someone else." Touma waved off the knight. Mordred narrowed her eyes, examining the boy. Seeing that her provocations weren't going to receive any kind of response, she turned to leave.

" _You were the reason she died before… but now… all you have to do is be the reason she lives."_

Those words suddenly echoed in her mind and gave her feet pause. Mordred sighed and promptly turned back to face the boy. Slowly, the knight moved to sit down across from the unlucky Kamijou.

"…Hey," She called out. "…What exactly is your relation to my father?"

"My relation?" Touma asked. "We were allies in a previous grail war… and I guess you could say we became friends over the course of that conflict."

"I see," Mordred replied. "…And what exactly do you think of in relation to her? What pops into your mind when you hear the name Artoria Pendragon?"

"Oh?" Touma blinked. "…That's hard to say… like I said we're friends… I'd say she is a very good person. She can also adapt to things so well it's unbelievable… I have a lot of respect for her as a person."

"As a person? Not as a king?" Mordred asked.

"I didn't exactly get to know her as a king like you did you know… but I think I'd come to the same conclusion anyway." Touma replied. "It doesn't matter if she's the King of Knights… she's still a human being and all of us live and die the same; once you've accepted that, special titles and whatever stop having any real meaning."

"Oh? That's a rather unique way of thinking for the so-called ordinary high school boy." Mordred smirked.

"Right; if you asked anyone else in my position, after going through what I've gone through, you'd probably get a different answer." Touma replied. "We're all different you know; just because someone labels you with a generic archetype doesn't erase your individuality. Being "normal" doesn't magically mean you're exactly the same as everyone else… although I'll admit; this isn't a normal situation… this is the second time I've been in a jail in the past two weeks…"

"Ehhh? Sounds like you need a new title to me… how about the Almighty God of Misfortune?"

"I'll pass; I want some kind of hope for the future." Touma sighed.

"Alright… I have another question for you; where'd those command seals that was on your left hand go?" Mordred asked.

"…Ah… hahaha… would you be willing to believe I accidentally negated it with my right hand?" Touma rubbed the back of his head.

"I would if you were a better liar." Mordred replied quickly. Touma hung his head in shame. "…Don't worry about it." She spoke as she pushed herself back up to her feet.

"Eh? You're not going to rat me out?"

"Personally, I'm just after my father… if these magi are so dim-witted they can't spot a patch of fake skin then it's none of my business." Mordred replied.

"…Thanks, I appreciate it." Touma let out a relieved sigh.

"Don't thank me; I'm just acting in my own best interest, and if they found out, they'd come after you to destroy your command seal, and you'd probably freak out and call your Servant… although I don't know why you haven't done so yet…"

"Because if I did, he'd skewer me for interrupting whatever it was he was doing… it has to be an absolute last resort…" Touma replied honestly. Mordred nodded and began to walk away. "…But still; I know you're only acting for yourself… but you keeping quiet really does help me out so… thank you very much."

Mordred paused, turning to the unlucky Kamijou once more.

"…You're too nice, you know that?"

"You're not the first to mention that." Touma replied. After a short time Mordred began to move once more.

"…He spoke as though he knew my father well… to get close enough to be so familiar… he must be very important to father…" Mordred continued to walk, eventually exiting the prison and entering what looked like a small courtyard. She took a deep breath before she let out a small whisper to herself.

"…Be the reason that she lives, huh…"

 **-Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Throne Room, 2 Hours Later-**

"Caster, have they responded yet?" Sage asked.

"Nothing yet… the Hanging Gardens should be able to intercept any kind of communication, yet there has been no response at all." Caster replied.

"…Well, do we take that as a refusal? Or do we give them more time?" Albert asked, now in a much better state.

"Well… then the next question is to ask; do we bombard them from here? Or do we invade with the army of Dragon Tooth Soldiers I've prepared? I've modified many to give them access to flight." Caster asked with a smile. Before anyone could respond, a voice sounded all around.

"Excuse me; this is the look-out post for the south-east area, I have an emergency report!" A magus spoke telepathically to those in the throne room.

"…Go ahead, we read you." Sage spoke.

"Our Seer has obtained visual of an aircraft rapidly approaching. It appears to be outside our firing range but is on a direct course!" The magus responded.

"Understood." Sage replied. "Caster, if you would..."

"Of course." Caster smiled as she held out her hand towards the south-east portion of the room, and with a flick of her wrist, a magic circle appeared. After a moment the circle transformed and presented the image of the area outside the Hanging Gardens.

There was a small speck noticeable on the screen. The image focused in on the spec, revealing to those in the room.

Some kind of aircraft was indeed on a direct path straight towards the Hanging Gardens.

"From the South East… it has a high tech look… it would appear that Academy City is the first to attempt to assail us." Albert commented.

"…Somethings not right…" Sage put a hand to his chin as he looked on at the airship. "…It is approaching alone… and even then… Academy City has bombers capable of reaching seven-thousand kilometers per hour… so why not use those…? And that's clearly a transport ship; not a bomber…"

"…Well, regardless… they are the first to arrive… shall I entertain them personally?" Caster asked.

"Do what you wish... remember the plan." Sage replied.

"Onee-san… are you going to be ok?" Yukiko asked. Caster smiled and set her master on the ground before standing up fully.

"Of course… this is just the first phase, after all."

 **-Transport Ship-**

"Whew! This thing is super amazing!" Kinuhata commented. Most of the group was in a cargo area near the entrance to the cockpit. Jonathan was absent from this group, as he was still not in any kind of shape for combat with other magicians or sorcerers.

"I'm more surprised with who's flying it…" Mugino commented back.

"Hmph… even flying something as advanced as this is a simple task thanks to my riding skill." Artoria called back from the cockpit.

"We're going to be entering the estimated range of the fortress… how is our secret weapon coming along?" Leivinia asked.

"Aneri installation complete, running a full system check now." Hamazura called out from the back. He was currently standing over a large cargo door, and was wearing a powered suit. Its arms and legs were heavily armored, and it had two sickles capable of folding, and each sickle had a 3-barrel gatling railgun armed on them, each one hooked up to a large cylinder on its back that was used to store ammunition. It also had the ability to deploy translucent wings from its back.

If it wasn't already obvious, it was not just an ordinary powered suit; it was a unique machine designed to emulate the powers of a particular level 5.

It was the FIVE_Over Modelcase_"RAILGUN." In addition, it was also carrying a large black box just below where the translucent wings would deploy from, as well as the back of its arms and legs were currently attached to a large rocket-propelled engine, for the purpose of rapid deployment; it had high speed but could only remain active for thirty-seconds, otherwise it would do serious damage to the pilot.

"Be careful Hamazura… don't overdo it with the speed boost." Takitsubo recommended. Hamazura chuckled.

"This thing only has thirty-seconds of fuel anyway, so it's not like I can even if I wanted to." He replied.

"Keep in mind those enchantments I put on it can't be revealed to anyone… there are some serious magic and science laws I broke for your special friend here." Leivinia spoke, patting the powered suit.

"Right, right… it'll automatically activate when I enter combat, and it'll only last five minutes, but I'll be able to hurt Servants… got it." Hamazura replied. "Alright! Aneri says the system check is complete; this baby is fully loaded and ready to fly. All I'm waiting for is your signal!"

"You sure you're going to be ok on your own?" Shirou asked.

"Sorry; this bad boy is a one seater… besides; this is the easy part. Save your strength for the hard stuff! Have some faith in this shitty level 0!" Hamazura replied, displaying confident smile under his helmet.

"We're entering firing range." Artoria called back.

"Alright! Deploying now!" Hamazura used one of the sickles to press a button on the side of the aircraft, which caused the doors below him to open, dropping him out of the ship. "Activating Over-boost!" the rocket engine on Hamazura's back activated, sending him flying forward, easily surpassing the speed of the aircraft he just departed from.

"Alright… deployment successful… how are you super holding up with that thing, Hamazura?" Kinuhata spoke into the radio system built into the aircraft.

"H-holy shiiiiiiit!" Hamazura shouted over the line. "Is this the kind of thing jet pilots have to deal with!? Count me the fuck ooooouuuuuttttt!"

"…So he's super doing fine." Kinuhata stated.

Most of the group heard that particular outburst, and were thoroughly unconvinced.

Hamazura continued to race forward at blinding speed. If it wasn't for Aneri, Hamazura's personal AI he managed to get from a different powered suit, he would have little control over the metal contraption. After a while, the AI suddenly began to vocalize within the suit, as well as displaying an alert in front of the dirty blond.

"Warning: Incoming projectiles. Source of origin: Flying object designated as the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon." Form of attack: Unknown. Energy source: Unknown."

"Sounds like magic to me! Evade them!" Hamazura ordered. The suit began to move quickly in small bursts thanks to side boosters installed on the rocket engine, narrowly dodging blasts of energy firing rapidly. After a moment he could see a large section of the fortress; it had more than enough room to land the airship on.

And there was a single figure standing on it. Though it was still a long ways off, he could make out long black hair and a black dress. The figure was the one unleashing numerous blasts of energy at Hamazura.

It was undoubtedly the Caster.

"That is the farthest anyone has made it into my territory." A female voice sounded in Hamazura's ears; it was Caster, though the means of how she was able to communicate with him was a mystery. "It gets harder now… do your best to impress me!"

"Warning: Over-boost system fuel depleted." Aneri spoke once more.

"Really fucking bad timing, jettison the thing and deploy the wings!" Hamazura shouted. In that exact moment Caster unleashed long waves of energy from her hands and waved them as if they were blades, attempt to smash them into Hamazura's powered suit. The rocket engine fell away and the translucent wings fully deployed, and the suit moved upward to dodge the attack.

"Ho…? Trading speed for maneuverability? You really think that will help you against me?" Caster mocked.

"Tch…! You're really fucking confident, aren't you!? Then have a load of this!" Hamazura shouted. The sickles moved and took aim, and the barrels on them began to spin. It wasn't long until the gatling railguns began to fire; unleashing a hail of bullets flying at twice the speed of sound, bombarding the area.

The Hanging Gardens was more than sturdy enough to withstand such devastating gunfire, but Caster moved to dodge each shot.

"That bastard… I can sense mana in each bullet… just enough to allow them to damage me… what the hell is this…!?" Caster glared angrily at the powered suit as it approached. They were now trading exchanges at each other as powerful spells and railgun rounds fired back and forth. Neither was able to strike the other, but Hamazura was winning the battle.

All he needed to do was breach Caster's defensive line and either kill or drive her away, and then a proper landing zone was theirs. Other magi aboard could potentially strike the airship, but with so many magi on board, on top of Index with her spell intercept, they were in very good hands.

All Hamazura had to do was focus all of his efforts on the enemy ahead of him.

The barrage of spells began to slow, and the dirty blond took advantage of the situation and began to swoop in, closing the distance considerably. Caster grinned as Hamazura got in close and unleashed another spell, much more powerful than before within the small distance gap. Hamazura was able to dodge the attack but it was able to claim one of the sickles. The dirty blonde wasted no time with a retaliatory strike, rushing forward to slam his suit's metal body into Caster, launching her back.

"Hey, hey, hey! Is that all you got!? I thought you were some kind of hotshot spellcaster!" Hamazura shouted.

"You insolent… I am Queen Semiramis! Do you really think you stand a chance against me!?" Caster shouted loud, magic circles appearing around her hands.

"Oh yeah? Show me what you got then! Only reason you had an advantage before was because of the distance… let's see how you fair when this hail of lead can actually hit its target with some accuracy!" Hamazura fired back, the single remaining sickle taking aim at Caster.

The Caster Semiramis glared at the dirty blonde for a short time, before she began to smirk. Caster jumped backwards, making considerable distance between the two as she unleashed her magic. Rather than magic blasts coming forth, a thick purple mist coated the ground below. After a moment or two, a large amount of skeletal figures began to rise out of the mist; it wasn't long before an miniature army of them stood in-between the dirty blonde and the wise queen.

"I applaud you for making it this far… you even managed to strike me." Caster began. "But this is just the opening act… have fun with my warriors, won't you?" The wise queen then vanished into the darkness of a hallway; many paths were on full display now that Hamazura got a better look. The Dragon Tooth Warriors began to move, showing open hostility as they began to pounce on the dirty blonde.

They proved easy to dispatch with Hamazura's single gatling railgun, as well as the superior strength of the powered suit, but what was an obvious issue was their numbers. Even if they were easy to kill for him, it didn't matter if there were so many that their losses were irrelevant.

"Hamazura!" Shirou suddenly dropped down from above with a large long sword, striking a Dragon Tooth Warrior that had leapt over his brethren to try to land a blow on the dirty blond.

"H-holy hell man! This is a bad time to be playing hero!" Hamazura shouted.

"Who said anything about playing?" Shirou replied. "Don't underestimate me!" Shirou shouted as the blade he held suddenly vanished, and he held out his own open palm. "Trace… On!" In an instant, at least twenty different swords suddenly formed out of blue lights in the air, and as Shirou moved his hand, they all fired. The blades ripped through the crowds, some just piercing their targets with great force, others exploding with a variety of different elements, scattering the troops.

"Woah… shit man…" Hamazura commented.

"That's just getting started… it looks like we have a lot more to work through!" Shirou stated as two swords, Kanshou and Bakuya, formed in his hands once more.

"Where is everyone else?"

"We had a bit of an issue with some flying versions of these Dragon Tooth Warriors… so I jumped out to help clear a landing area… they should be able to land soon…" Shirou replied. "So… you ready?"

"…As long as you won't throw a fit when this baby shows you up!" Hamazura spoke confidently. Shirou smirked and the two moved to engage the Dragon Tooth Warriors once more.

 **-Throne Room-**

"I have returned…" Caster spoke as she walked inside.

"Welcome back, Caster." The Sage responded. "Things are going as planned, although a bit faster than I had anticipated… they were quick to capitalize on your focus with the enemy."

"It would appear to be so…" Caster sat down on her throne and in an instant, a large 3D model of her fortress appeared in the middle of the room. Several locations were lit up with red dots, identifying intruders.

"This many… and their apparent numbers… are you sure this is alright?" Albert asked.

"It is all within acceptable parameters… don't worry. We made an enemy of a nation and are holding a famous figure in the magic world captive… it would be harder to believe if less enemies had answered our summons…"

"And if they make it all the way here…?" Albert asked.

"…Don't worry; I have a special surprise prepared for them if they can make it this far." The Sage replied. Rider smirked and turned into spirit form, leaving the room with the intention of spicing things up a bit.

 **-Bottom of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon-**

Many factions and individuals were beginning their invasion of the flying fortress, and Jeanne D'Arc, the Ruler Class Servant, was one of them.

"A-are you sure this is fine? I can't take you up any higher after dealing with that assault…" A man spoke. Ruler had used her charisma ability to convince a man capable of flight to ferry her to the fortress, and they had endured a barrage of magic spells from several magi that had occupied the bottom of the fortress as they had flown up. Though they were safe and sound on board now, the man was still more than a little winded from the experience.

"It is fine; I humbly thank you for your assistance." Ruler replied. "If you are able, you can head back down. Now that I am here I can begin my search."

"…If you don't mind, I don't feel like dodging that onslaught again…" The man replied. Several footsteps suddenly were heard as several magi began to pour in from the halls that intersected the room Ruler and the magus capable of flight were in. After they had assembled, one of them stepped forward and began to speak.

"I will make this clear… all those who board this fortress and do not ally with us will be annihilated… since you did not send any notification, it is safe to assume you are an enemy… what do you say in your defense?" Ruler's response was to form her battle standard once more, as the man who had transported her moved back for the exit. "Very well, then burn!"

In an instant, a red seal appeared below Ruler's feet and a large pillar of fire erupted from it, engulfing the woman completely. The magus turned his attention to the male behind the woman, but a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"You are not the first to burn me at the stake…but this time I will not fall!" Ruler burst from the flames completely unharmed, slamming her battle standard into the magus' body, launching him across the room with her superior strength. The other magi unleashed spells, but regardless of their power or element, each one failed to even catch her attention, much less damage her.

"…As you can see, I am capable of keeping them distracted so you can retreat safely." Ruler stated, turning her attention to the magus who had brought her here. "Consider it a thank you for bringing me here... good luck!" With that, Ruler began her rather one-sided fight against the magi who had come to intercept her, as her Ex-Rank magic Resistance made her quite immune to even their strongest spells. The man suddenly dove out the opening they had used to enter the room, and began to soar to the ground.

True to her word, no attacks were fired to intercept him. He flew to safety; all the while wondering who the mysterious woman who had approached him was.

 **-Hanging Gardens, North West Side-**

"…So that's all?" Was the simple question that was asked by a particular woman. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore a simple maid uniform with a long dress, as well as a set of goggles on her forehead.

"Doubt it… probably just the welcoming party… don't go all out against the small fries, Silvia." Another woman answered. She also had blonde hair and blue eyes, but her choice in clothing couldn't be anymore different. She wore a hat with decorative feathers, a dress that went down to her knees, and men's pants underneath the dress. She also had protectors covering her elbows and knees, and to top it off: a bulletproof vest covering her chest.

"Eh…? Is this one of your off days? Cause if you saw that and thought I was getting serious, something must be wrong with you, Brunhild." The maid known is Silvia replied.

"…Also, don't go all out until we reach ground with more support underneath; I don't want you sending this entire platform hurling into the ground." Brunhild replied.

"…Are you low-key making fun of me? Saying that I'll go on a rampage and destroy everything in sight!?" Silvia shouted.

"Please… calm yourselves… they might be able to hear us still." A male voice called out to them from behind. He was a slim, short-haired light-blonde man with green eyes, and wore a modest aquamarine thin shirt accompanied by a camel-colored lambskin vest, and similarly colored pants.

"Think so? I think we took care of them really well, Ollerus." Silvia commented. The trio was currently surrounded by vast amounts of shattered Dragon Tooth Warriors, as well as unconscious magicians. "By the way… how are the new arms? I forgot to ask earlier."

"I think they made Fiamma jealous a little bit… too bad that the Magic God that had invaded Academy City left him in too injured to join us." Ollerus replied. "As for the former question, the walls have ears… I doubt we'd receive as much of a welcome if they learned that two saints and a former impure magic god are on board."

"Hrm… good point I guess… where to?" Silvia asked.

"We're else? We're going to make sure this little plan of theirs fails… we can't have them go and steal an ally of ours from under our noses, can we?" Ollerus responded, and the trio then began to move into the Hanging Gardens, eager to defeat those who had caused this situation.

 **-North East Side, Facing London-**

"…So the rumors about you were true then, huh?" A female voice had sounded.

She was a woman in her upper twenties with blonde hair tied in the back, and she wore a red dress composed of bright red leather, with a large wire-supported skirt, as well as red gloves that nearly reached up to her shoulders, and a single golden crown on her head.

She was Carissa, the second daughter of the Queen of England, Elizard, and truth be told, she had just arrived to the scene displayed before her.

And all she saw before herself was destruction. The area was littered with bones, evidence of some kind of undead familiar, as well as magi, scattered around the area with varying degrees of damage, although all of them had been dealt with. Several were even around the hallway entrances, each one equally as crushed as the last. Numerous sections of the platform were broken off, as well is clear visible damage to the walls and floors, evident of struggle against an immense power.

Clearly, this area was better defended than the others, as it was the closest platform to London, but it didn't matter one bit.

Because all that remained was a single man standing in the middle of the devastation.

The man had tea-colored hair, and had a straight-lined face, as if it was chiseled from stone. He had a muscular build, one that could only by acquired through seemingly endless combat, not through standard weightlifting, and he wore a blue-based polo shirt and blue pants.

His weapons: a large five-meter long mace that had more in common with a lance, currently stabbed into the ground, and a large three-and-a-half meter long sword strapped to his back. The sword had various portions of varying thickness and angles, with sections of the blade resembling an axe, a razor and saw, with spikes and a wire positioned on it, and had the word "Ascalon" written on it.

This man's name was William Orwell, formerly known as Acqua of the Back. He turned to face Carissa as she spoke.

"…I had departed early to ensure your arrival was a safe one." William seemingly ignored Carissa's question and announced what he had done. The red princess eyed the Saint carefully, but shrugged after a moment.

"…The reasons for reacquiring your power must be a moot point, huh?" Carissa smiled. "We shouldn't wait too long, otherwise they'll find out exactly who they're dealing with." Carissa walked past William, who pulled his mace out of the ground and heaved it over his shoulder, following the red princess.

The war within the Hanging Gardens of Babylon had just begun.

* * *

 **And here we are at the bottom.**

 **How are you enjoying this soon to be chaotic situation, eh? Sure; the big three's antics are drawing a lot of attention... but that's exactly what they want, isn't it?**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good one my friends!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	21. Division

**And we have arrived once more... not much to say this time. I feel like I say that a lot... oh well!**

 **I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Oho! Sounds like you two had a real party down here!" Leivinia commented. The airship had just landed and a hatch opened on the side, allowing the passengers inside to disembark.

"Something like that… Caster is a real piece of work." Hamazura replied. The ground was littered with broken bones form the skeletal creatures Caster had summoned to fight against them.

"No magicians are around… it would appear that Caster had sent forces stationed here elsewhere… I wonder why?" Mark commented.

"…If it wasn't clear that this was a trap before, I think it is now…" Rin commented. The group continued to disembark one at a time, and the last one to get off the aircraft was Artoria.

"Judging from the mana flow… several other groups have begun their attack as well…" Index spoke up, Othinus sitting on the girl's head. "…If this is a trap, it must be very elaborate if it intends to account for so many invading parties…"

"…The other level 5's are here as well." Takitsubo suddenly spoke up.

"You're shitting me… all of them?" Mugino asked.

"All excluding the number six… they appear to be fighting." Takitsubo commented.

"…I feel super sorry for those magicians then… they not only have to stand up to the other level 5's, but Accelerator too? It's not going to be super pretty over there…" Kinuhata spoke.

"Any sign of Lazarus? I doubt he'd pass this opportunity up…" Leivinia asked.

"Not yet…" Takitsubo shook her head.

"He will come… it is only a matter of time… until then we should focus our efforts on liberating the Imagine Breaker from the Solution to Nothingness' custody." Mark suggested.

"…Ah, fucking hell!" Hamazura suddenly cursed. He took of his helmet and the suit opened up, and the dirty blonde got out of the powered suit.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Shirou asked.

"Just got a low power warning… this fucker should be good for at least eight hours of continuous activity…" Hamazura spoke as he inspected the powered suit. He felt around until he felt a warm liquid, and quickly pulled his hand back to wipe it off. "…Mother fucker; one of those pieces of crap hit the battery cage… it's leaking all over the place…"

"Can you fix it?" Rin asked.

"No fixing this without getting my hands on another battery… plus I don't know how to disassemble the cage… fuck, I don't even think this thing will move anymore." Hamazura sighed. "This thing is officially five-hundred pounds of useless…"

"Then get everything you need off of it so we can do the follow-through." Mugino ordered.

"…Follow-through?" Rin seemed confused.

"Right… Aneri already has jumped back to my phone… I just need this…" Hamazura fiddled with the straps currently holding the black box it had on its back in place. After a moment the large case hit the ground with a thud, and Hamazura dragged the box away a fair distance. "Alright, let it rip!"

A green beam pierced the powered suit, causing it to explode rather violently.

"H-hey! A little more warning next time! I was close to that, you know!?" Rin shouted. "Why'd you do that, anyway?"

"Standard procedure… Academy City technology cannot fall into the hands of any other power. Besides… think about what could happen if some other country got their hands on it and decided to make their own?" Mugino answered.

"…Ok, I get that but still… a little more warning would be nice…" Rin sighed. "What was in that case, anyway?"

"Some special stuff I picked up from where we got the Five_OVER." Hamazura unlocked the case and opened it up. It contained several cartridges of ammunition of varying types, as well as two guns; a high-powered assault rifle, and the infamous Barret M82A1 "Metal Eater M5," Anti-tank rifle. Hamazura took out a few cartridges as well as the assault rifle, but left the metal eater in the case as he closed it.

"Looks like you're ready for a war…" Shirou commented.

"More or less... couldn't find any explosives though, so I have to deal with what they had… saving the big guns for later." The dirty blond stuffed the cartridges into his pockets as well as loading the rifle before hauling the large case over his back; it was a lot lighter than it appeared.

"You know those won't help very much against Servants as they are…" Rin commented.

"I know… but since we've entered the realm where we're not just fighting spirits and what not… I figured this stuff could be useful." Hamazura replied. "A Servant may be able to survive these bullets… but the Five_OVER dealt with those undead-looking things well… plus a bullet can damage a human just fine, be it a magician or otherwise…"

"Likely, the masters are aboard this vessel as well… if he were to get into the right position he could eliminate them." Artoria spoke up.

"Exactly! Plus… I feel like we're going to run into a lot more magi than Servants…" Hamazura shrugged.

"…Good point, just be sure you know what you're looking at. I don't want to get shot in the back of the head or something." Rin commented.

"Please; I've used both of these babies before… I'm a lot more familiar with firearms than you'd think." Hamazura replied. "Have some faith in this shitty level 0."

"…You say that like it's a thing of pride…" Rin spoke with a deadpan expression.

"Well… he did kind-of super kick the shit out of Mug- Oww!" Kinuhata held her head as the number four level 5 suddenly chopped her head with her fake hand.

"Need-to-know basis only, Kinuhata!" Mugino shouted.

"...Ok, I'll stop questioning it…" Rin sighed. "You people from the science side are all weird…"

"You probably seem the same to them, Thighs." Leivinia commented.

"Again with this!?" Rin shouted.

"Enough! Please… let's hurry up and go so we can find Touma!" Index shouted.

"That's right; we got a mission. If we can get Kamijou-san out of here, we might be able to prevent whatever plan they have for everyone who decided to invade from succeeding." Shirou stated. The group agreed and they began to move into the Hanging Gardens through one of the many corridors.

It led them down a series of alternating paths and many passageways; it was like the interior was some kind of maze. The paths would lead to ascending and descending staircases, intersections with other paths they had already traveled, as well as a series of dead ends.

After a while, they eventually came out into a courtyard of some kind. There was no ceiling, though there were more paths to take, as well as the ground was covered in vegetation. Considering no one had seen this area before, they decided that it was a good sign and went to make a symbol on the entrance they had come from to mark where they had been.

Without warning, a beam of yellow light struck the middle of the room, completely demolishing the floor. This sent everyone hurling down in different directions as the walls below forcefully split up members of the group, and sending several down different paths to different locations as debris followed them from the destruction.

Rider materialized in one of the corridors leading to the now collapsed courtyard. He smirked for a moment as he watched the Hanging Garden's interior forcefully split everyone up due to his attack

"Let's see where you all end up… this should slow them down quite nicely… don't die before the final confrontation now; that would be extremely boring…" Rider commented as he once more turned into spirit form, leaving the area.

 **-Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Unknown Location-**

"Hey… is everyone ok?" Shirou asked. He was coughing due to the dust from the collapse behind them.

"I'm fine… I think… ow…" Rin called out.

"T-that… seemed like it was the Rider's attack… right?" Index spoke up.

"…Hopefully I don't need to describe how much more of a pain dust is when you're this small…" Othinus chimed in. The four got up and Othinus was quick to climb back up to her post on Index's head, and they began to look around.

However, no one else seemed to be near them.

"That bastard… Caster must have tipped him off that we were coming…" Shirou cursed.

"It looks like the inner workings of the fortress lead us all down different paths… though the way back is blocked now…" Index commented. "What do we do…?"

"…All we can do is push forward and try to meet up with everyone… let's go." Shirou replied. The smaller group began to move out, eager to find their friends once more.

 **-Unknown Location-**

"Gah… damn… what the hell happened…" Hamazura rubbed his head as he came to. His rifle was across the room, while he himself was lying against some rubble. He quickly noticed that he was alone and raced for his rifle, not trusting the situation without some kind of defense.

"Hey! Is anyone down here!?" Hamazura called out, but he didn't hear a reply. He gritted his teeth at the silence. "Hey… Takitsubo! Are you down here!?" This time he heard a small moan, and he began to move. "Takitsubo! Just keep talking and I'll find you ok…!?" It appeared that he had exited out in a large four-way hall, and thought that his girlfriend must be on one of the other paths currently blocked by the debris, and he quickly took an alternating path that seemed to lead him around.

"Hama… zura…!" The dirty blond faintly heard the cry and ran faster, turning the corner quickly to enter the nearest corridor and came to a stop.

He found Takitsubo alright, but the thing that gave Hamazura paused upon finding her was what she had landed on.

Or rather… whom.

"I-I know you're still reeling from your fall… but this position is really awkward…!" Ruler spoke. She was currently on her back while Takitsubo was lying on her chest, facing the Servant.

Perverted thoughts immediately ran through Hamazura's mind, triggering a nosebleed.

"S-sorrrryyyyy!" Hamazura cried out, turning his back on the two to try and take care of his sudden injury.

"E-eh? Is he ok? That looked really bad…!" Ruler asked.

"…It's fine… it's just Hamazura being Hamazura-y…" Takitsubo sighed.

"C-crap… are you two ok…?" The dirty blonde asked.

"Hamazura… help me up please… this is really embarrassing…" Takitsubo replied. Hamazura dropped his gun and raced to his girlfriend's side and helped her to her feet. Ruler was quick to push herself up now that Takitsubo was off of her.

"…What are you two doing here…?" Jeanne the Ruler asked.

"It's a long story…" Hamazura replied. "…Hey! My case is here!" True to his word, Hamazura's black gun case was sticking out of the rubble. He tried to pull it out, but it wasn't budging an inch, probably due to the weight of the debris. Ruler moved to try and help but just as she did, the box suddenly shot out of the rubble like a rocket, carrying the dirty blonde with it.

"…I heard all the talking, can anyone give me a hand? If I use anything I could make this collapse worse…" It was Artoria, speaking out from the hole the gun case had just been ejected from.

"…You shot me across the room… shit, I think this is how the boss feels, right!?" Hamazura shouted. He was quick to help dig Artoria out however, as was Ruler.

"So… we're all that's here… we must have been divided up…" Artoria stated once she was free. "Why are you here though, Ruler?"

"I was asking your friends the same thing…" Ruler replied. "I hadn't been able to locate any additional information aside from what you all told me, and Lancer's signal vanished shortly after you all left, so I was left with the only option of tracking down the Caster after my other paths were closed… then I discovered this fortress flying in the air, and had to retrieve a method of flying up…"

"…So you don't really know what's going on?" Hamazura asked.

"I know that something dangerous is occurring, but I do not know the details… can you please inform me?" Ruler asked.

"…Lady, Caster summoned this thing and is sending it straight toward London to smash up the place." Hamazura replied.

"…What…?" Ruler's eyes widened. "…Why? Revealing magic to the world at large is extremely dangerous, and you say the Caster intends to invade London…!?"

"Her demand was that the British Government hand over control to her. It is assumed that if her demand isn't met that she intends to destroy the city." Artoria answered.

"…That's…!" Ruler shook her head for a moment. "As I said, revealing magic to the world is dangerous, as is her current campaign against the United Kingdom… but with the full intent of genocide…!"

"Also… they're luring people here for some kind of trap." Takitsubo replied. "They kidnapped Kamijou-san and held him up as part of their display… a lot of organizations are here now trying to save them… but it's exactly what they want."

"Yeah… this entire place is a god damn trap, and they're using the boss as bait." Hamazura replied.

"…I see…" Ruler narrowed her eyes and looked down.

"…Listen, I know your stance on this stuff cause of your position, so don't worry about us. We'll be fine." Hamazura spoke.

"…No." Ruler shook her head again. "While kidnapping and even murder is not against the rules of the war, blatant mass genocide undoubtedly is, especially when there is no conceivable reason for such an action. While it appears the Lancer is on his way here, all other Servants are now aboard this vessel; none are in London and therefore it is unrelated, and this truly is Caster's fortress, then she must know this fact."

"…So you're going to help us?" Hamazura asked.

"I cannot say for sure… I will abide by the rule that I cannot interfere with battles between Servants…" Ruler trailed off. "…But please; allow me to accompany you. As long as we do not stand between Servants fighting I will help you however I can, but I need to meet with this Caster."

"If we come across her that's fine, but our main goal is saving the boss, alright?" Hamazura replied. Ruler nodded.

"I wholeheartedly understand. We may complete your objective first, as it is clear that Touma is very much related to whatever insidious plot they have created." She replied.

"…You said that the Lancer is on his way, correct? And that the rest of the Servants are here?" Artoria asked. Ruler nodded. "If Lancer appears to be approaching… then that means Lazarus must be on his way as well… but tell me, can you sense an Archer?"

"I can, let me… huh?" Ruler suddenly looked confused. "I sense… two Archers? How can this be…? One of them is approaching but the other is already on board…"

"…! Two Archers…!?" Artoria's eyes widened for a moment before her look became serious. "…So the King of Heroes saw the broadcast as well…!"

"King of Heroes? King Gilgamesh is here? Was he… wait…" Ruler began to process what she had heard. "…You are the Servant of Rin… Touma said he had a Servant left over from the previous war as well… then…!"

"…Gilgamesh is the Servant of Kamijou Touma." Artoria began. "They were not at the start, but abnormalities occurred when the one who started the Illegal Grail War being forcefully transformed into the Lesser Grail and gave Touma command seals… and through a mutual agreement they made the pact."

"…I'm lost." Hamazura sighed.

"Remember the man in golden armor that rode on top of the truck when you drove us before? That was Gilgamesh." Artoria answered.

"…So he's probably here to pick up the boss too; what's the problem then?" Hamazura asked.

"The problem is that he is more than capable of destroying the entire Hanging Gardens of Babylon if he wanted." Artoria replied. "You are correct, he is likely on his way to save Touma, but he will care little about anyone else and it is very likely that he intends to destroy the entire fortress afterward."

"…Ok shit, that's really bad." Hamazura commented. "So we have to find the boss before this Gilgamesh guy does, or else he blows this entire thing sky high!?"

"…I would like to point out, that Jeanne-san pointed out that the other Archer is here as well… so likely Minho is skulking around somewhere…" Takitsubo spoke up.

"And that's just an extra dash of fuuuuuck!" Hamazura scratched his head. "…Ok… ok, ok… and ok…" He took a deep breath. "I'm good I think… sorry Takitsubo…" The dirty blond hung his head low, but his girlfriend rubbed his back gently to help him calm down.

"I'm sorry… I can't tell the difference between Archers… one is on their way and the other is definitely on board, but a long distance away from us…" Ruler replied. Hamazura walked over to his gun case and heaved it over his back, as well as picking up his rifle.

"So… how about we start running as fast as we can before we get shot out of the sky?" He spoke.

 **-Unknown Location-**

"Great… now we're stuck with each other…" Mugino commented.

"I don't know; Birdway is really kick-ass! Does super suck that Hamazura and Takitsubo aren't here though…" Kinuhata commented.

"Less talking, more running! The sooner we can find someone, the better our chances of finding the others!" Leivinia shouted.

"Boss, I'm feeling some explosive vibrations nearby…" Mark spoke up as the group ran forward. They had been quick to begin their exploration after the four had woken up from the sudden collapse. They kept running up and down various paths until they heard a very definite phrase that the fourth ranked level 5 clearly recognized.

"Amazing Punch!" sounded through the halls, followed by a powerful shockwave shaking the entire corridor, and that was tailed by a sudden explosion, blasting apart the left wall about fifty meters ahead.

"Hey… wasn't that…?" Kinuhata spoke up.

"…I don't even want to imagine him being here right now, much less right next door…!" Mugino held her head as if she had suddenly been struck by a migraine. Before Leivinia could even ask, another section of the wall collapsed; this time right in front of the four.

A boy was thrown through it, and he had black hair, a white headband, as well as a Rising-Sun shirt.

"Man… these guys really have some fire in their guts!" The boy spoke, hopping to his feet with ease despite being thrown through solid stone.

"…Oh son of a bitch, it is him…" Mugino groaned.

"Oho! If it isn't the number four!" Sogiita Gunha cheerfully greeted. "Long time no see… I guess the number five's assumption that you'd be here was right! Impressive!"

"I don't even want to know how she found that out…" Mugino spoke in an irritated tone.

"What are you doing? Get back in here!" Another female voice called, sticking her head in the hole Sogiita had just been thrust from. She had brown eyes and hair.

"…Misaka Mikoto too huh? I should have expected that with Kamijou's life on the line…" Leivinia commented.

"…Eh!? Not you again!" Mikoto shouted the moment she laid eyes upon the blonde cabal boss.

"Why the hell does everyone keep saying that to me!? First Kamijou, then Hamazura, and now you!" Leivinia shouted.

"…I believe it is safe to assume that you have a negative reputation with- Gah!" Mark suddenly shouted when Leivinia kicked him in the shin.

"Ugh… there's no time for this! Get back in here!" Mikoto shouted. Sogiita nodded and stepped back through as well. Curious, the group of four followed the two.

Inside was a chaotic battle to say the least. It took place in another courtyard, although despite the vegetation being present, there was a ceiling this time, implying that they were still on the lower levels. There was a large crowd of magi on one side of the room and numerous dragon tooth warriors flowing in from the various corridors leading into the room, while a small number of people on the other, but despite the difference in numbers, the conflict was very heated.

Because the small number consisted of most of the level 5 espers from Academy City.

Upon reentering the room, Sogiita rushed and leapt into the crowd of magi, forcing it to disperse with a variety of powerful blows, including several invisible attacks launched from his fists whenever he threw a punch.

"Come on! You all were so fired up before! Get over here and show me your GUTS!" He shouted, charging headfirst into his next target.

The number five, Shokuhou Misaki, was standing in-between five different men. They were dressed similarly to the magi currently trying to repel the esper forces, but all five were acting is Misaki's defense instead. The odd thing; each one had stars in their eyes.

"I must admit… this magic ability is really useful. Make sure to do your best to protect me, please~" Misaki cheerfully commented as she manipulated the five men around her with her Mental Out.

Misaka Mikoto was taking a more active approach, blasting apart the hordes of dragon tooth soldiers with her electricity. She seemed to be purposefully avoiding using her railgun, despite ample opportunities to do so, most likely due to concerns about the structural integrity of the room.

The number two, Beetle 5 who was currently taking on the persona of Kakine Teitoku, had a much more devious strategy. He was standing in the middle of the room, and although he was constantly under attack, his all white body effortlessly regenerated from whatever punishment the magi decided to inflict upon him. Those that would get in close however, would find the floor reaching up to strike them down.

As the floor around him was slowly turning white and expanding outward. It appeared superficial at a glance, what he was actually doing was slowly but surely turning the floor of the room into a substance known as Dark Matter, which he could freely manipulate with ease. The ground the magi could tread was shrinking rapidly as the number two took territory right from underneath them.

However, outside of the missing number six, one thing was amiss about the situation.

"…Where is Accelerator?" Leivinia asked. It was Beetle 5 who heard this, and pointed upward.

"The floor above." He spoke simply. Shockwaves could be felt emanating from the ceiling. A large claw suddenly shot down from the floor above, but was quickly retracted.

"W-what the super hell was that…!?" Kinuhata asked.

"A summon more than likely… I do not know if it belongs to the Caster or any of the magi here however… I suppose it would be reasonable to assume that the creature is in a fight with the top dog of Academy City then?" Mark spoke.

"Such a powerful deduction ability… hehe~" Misaki commented.

"Get back! The ceiling is coming down!" Mikoto shouted as cracks began to form in the ceiling above. The magi began to scatter upon realizing this, but it was too late for most of them as a large quadruped creature crashed through the roof, crushing and scattering a sizable amount of the magic forces with a sudden impact.

As well as Sogiita Gunha, who was right underneath the creature when it landed.

The monster had leathery skin, and seemed more akin to that of some kind of lizard with its primarily green coloring. However, the creature wasn't moving and there was a noticeable large hole in its chest.

And a boy with red eyes and white hair jumped out of that hole, landing on the plant-covered stone flooring.

"Pain in my ass…" Accelerator cursed. "What'd I miss?"

"You defeated most of the opposing forces just now… as well as crushing the number seven." Beetle 5 was quick to answer. Accelerator turned to look at the beast he had felled and shrugged his shoulders.

"…He'll live." Accelerator began to walk away. As if on cue, the large beast was forced over onto its side, and Sogiita jumped to his feet out of an imprint on the ground.

"Looks like they're all running away just because this big guy lost… they really need to show more guts than that... they were looking good before…" He looked around to see that fewer magi were left under the beast than initially thought; most were blasted away by the impact, but a few unfortunate souls were indeed felled by the fallen titan.

"…I see that you're all doing well, as expected." Leivinia spoke up after a time.

"…God damn it, not you again." Accelerator cursed. Leivinia's arms fell to her sides as she looked back at the top dog of Academy City.

"…Don't… don't talk to me…" Leivinia spoke in a depressed tone as she hung her head, turning away from the rest of the group. The fourth revelation that her presence was not welcome was enough to finally enough to break the blonde cabal boss. Mark tried his best to snap Leivinia out of her sudden mood swing but it seemed ineffective.

"So fourth rate… what the hell are you doing here?" Accelerator asked.

"Bitch controlling this flying piece of crap pissed me off a while ago." Mugino commented. "Plus Hamazura was on his way up here anyway to save Kamijou, and someone has to keep his ass out of trouble… although it appears that we've lost him…" Mugino ended that last sentence with apparent distain for the situation.

"…Fuckin figures." Accelerator cursed. "The fuckin hero goes off and gets kidnapped and everyone comes to save him? That's so fucking ironic that it could bring me to tears."

"His important power is rather infamous, you know." Misaki walked up to the group. "Also… you and Misaka-chan are a bunch of meanies for making her cry…" She was currently holding Leivinia Birdway with the back of her head stuffed right in the number five's impressive chest. The blonde cabal boss appeared to have returned to her senses, but she also seemed strangely content with the position, despite her own insecurities about her own lack of bust.

Perhaps it was due to her getting a sneak preview of what she would look like in several years a few days ago, remembering how buxom she had become herself, and was currently imagining holding a certain someone in a similar position.

"…Did… did she use her ability on her?" Mikoto blinked.

"…I don't see a remote in her hand…" Mugino commented.

"…The fuck?" Those were the only words Accelerator could muster.

"What's so surprising? A big sister has to look out for her little sisters after all!" Misaki smiled.

"You're just as old as me! Stop claiming maturity when you're only fourteen!" Mikoto shouted.

"…I'm twelve, so her being a big sister still applies here." Leivinia rose her hand up to reply.

"...I don't see any stars in her eyes…" Mugino blinked.

"… Fuck this underage bullshit; I'm going to go kill someone." Accelerator spat, walking away from the conversation.

"…It was rather crude, but he does have a point; we have little time to waste if we wish to save Kamijou Touma." Beetle 5 spoke.

"…I'd rather go get Hamazura and fuck out of this place… but I'm already here…" Mugino replied.

"Plus we don't have a super idea where he went… maybe he'll meet us over by Kamijou?" Kinuhata spoke.

"…Mark, be ready to fight. Who knows what will happen next…" Leivinia commented.

"…Understood." Mark replied, although he had less than stellar opinions about the blonde cabal boss giving such orders in the position she was in. After a moment Leivinia looked up, facing Misaki.

"…Did he just think something bad about me?" She asked.

"He did… his insult power was rather violent there~" Misaki replied with a smile.

"...Hold on, what!?" Mark shouted.

"Mark… this goes on your permanent record." Leivinia spoke. With that she and the buxom level 5 joined the group to continue their rescue operation.

"H-hold on, how did you two get to the point that the boss knew your ability already!?" Mark shouted. "A-a-and what do you mean by that? I have a permanent record!? H-hold on, wait! Boss, I'm soooorrrrryyyyyy!"

 **-Shirou's Group's Location-**

"…How the hell did we wind up back here?" Shirou commented. The four were staring right back at the ship they had used to land aboard the Hanging Gardens.

"…Those winding staircases really make you lose track of which direction you're going, eh?" Rin replied with a disappointed sigh. "…Do you think anyone else made it back here?"

"Maybe… it can't hurt to look, right?" Index shrugged. The three made their way over to the ship, but their march was stopped halfway when a spear made of fire was unleashed from behind them and struck the aircraft, exploding violently on contact and taking the ship with it. They didn't see any bodies fly from the ensuing explosion, so it was likely uninhabited, but the act was still disconcerting.

"That is far enough, invaders…" A male voice sounded from behind. Several magi had gathered behind them. The group turned to face them, only to be face to face with another hoard of dragon tooth warriors as well. "These creatures have been entrusted to us by the lord of this castle, and your only route of escape has been destroyed… we will give you one chance; submit."

"Like hell… you bastards kidnapped my friend!" Kanshou and Bakuya once again formed in Shirou's hands. A loud whipping sound could be heard, but it was unknown where it originated.

"Don't worry; in death you shall find him once more after our plan is complete." The magus spoke. He raised his hands and magic circles appeared below them, evidence of magecraft.

The whipping sound grew louder.

"…Do your worst! We will defeat you and find our way to Touma!" Index shouted.

"Very well… at least you will… what the bloody hell is that noise!?" The magus shouted. The whipping sound was the loudest it had been and seemed to now be coming from below the platform now, although it appeared to be rising. Wind kicked up from behind the group, and they turned back to look as it appeared to be unnatural.

What they saw were three helicopters. To be specific, two AH-64 Apache attack choppers as well as transport chapter of an unknown make and model that appeared to be new.

Judging from their color as well as the model, they appeared to belong to the United States of America.

The chain guns on the attack helicopters opened fire, shredding through several of the dragon tooth soldiers as they focused their aim on the magi by the corridor entrances.

"What the fucking hell are these people doing here?! Shoot them down!" The head magician shouted, using different magic to forcefully raise the stone floor to act as a kind of cover. Several magi tried to duck out from behind their cover to attack, but where quickly shot as the hail of lead pounded their fortifications.

"What the hell…!?" Shirou shouted.

"It's… a military response to Caster declaring war on the United Kingdom…!" Othinus shouted as she was using all of her strength to hold onto Index's habit as the silver-haired nun held it down.

"Don't worry my friends! Your saviors have arrived!" A loud booming voice from some kind of microphone sounded as the transport helicopter's sides opened up, with several ropes dropping down as heavily armed soldiers used the lines to descend and land on the platform and ran past the group to open fire. The last one to drop down was bulkier than the others, and he had a large minigun heaved over his shoulder. His eyes were obscured because the combat helmet he wore hid his eyes with sunglass lenses.

"Hey… you're the commander… right? You need to get your men out of here!" Rin shouted. The large man could only laugh.

"And leave you four trapped up here to die? Not a chance! Haha! Have some faith in the cavalry!" The man moved forward and opened fire with his minigun, shredding through the dragon tooth warriors that charged the soldier's front line.

"…If he's not going to budge on this… then… cover me!" Shirou rushed forward, moving past the firing soldiers.

"Wha-!? What the hell are you doing you idiooootttt!?" Rin shouted as she began to open fire with Gandr.

"Oho? So you're a magic caster then?" The large man with the minigun commented.

"Yes! If you're going to do anything useful at all then help me cover Shirou!" Rin shouted as she resumed firing.

"Alright boys; our priority is to protect the one who just charged ahead! Light them up!" The large man shouted, and the soldiers did their best to clear the shambling undead creatures out of Hero of Justice's way. Shirou moved quickly, jumping over the raised bricks and pouncing down on the lead magician, slashing into the side of the man's torso.

"You… son of a…!" The make choked out.

"Sorry, but there's someone I have to save." Shirou replied, kicking the man back into the wall behind him, knocking him out when his head jerked back and hit solid stone. The spell raising the floor cut out, as it slowly returned to normal. As their fortification fell apart, the magi attempted to unleash any and all kinds of magic, but they were either taken out by Rin's Gandr, shot by the United States' army, or had their spells redirected back at them by Index's spell intercept.

"…Alright, the LZ is secure." The large man, clearly the one in charge spoke. Several more soldiers spilled out of the transport aircraft before it and the attack choppers left, turning around.

"H-hey… where are they going?" Rin asked.

"The attack choppers are going to assist in other heated areas… my men are going to clear a landing area for our transport so we have a way back home." The large man replied. "We arrived in time right? None of you are hurt?"

"We're fine… thanks… I don't know how well this would have gone otherwise…" Shirou spoke as he walked back.

"But you guys know about magecraft…?" Rin asked. "Just… how much do you know…?"

"About everything… unless you lot learned anything new." The large man replied, setting his minigun down and resting his hands on his hips. "The United Kingdom is in trouble and they're using Kamijou Touma as a bargaining chip or even bait to lure in people… either way in a situation like this all you can do is call their bluff… I need to pay Touma a visit anyway; it's been too long."

"You know him… personally?" Index asked. "Just who are you?"

"Ah! That'd probably help if you actually knew who I was… heh!" The large man put one foot on his minigun and undid the strap holding his combat helmet in place to take it off, revealing his black hair.

"W-what…?" Shirou spoke in shock.

"Oh… my…!" Index eye's widened.

"W-what the hell is someone like you doing here!?" Rin shouted. "D-do you know how dangerous for someone like you being here is!?"

"Of course!" Roberto Katze replied, spinning his combat helmet with one finger and pounding his chest with his other hand. "How could I not? I'm the god damn President!"

* * *

 **Welcome to the bottom... so thoughts on the sudden appearance of the god damn president of the United States!? I feel like it was over the top, but considering it was Roberto we're talking about here, I feel like it had to be. And for those not entirely clear, LZ is military slang for Landing Zone.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed. Review at your leisure; I still love feedback.**

 **Have a good day my friends!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	22. To Save the Savior

**Once more, before the breach... we delve into a fictional story about another fictional story... well... stories... I had a bit here planned but it suddenly escapes me... crap...**

 **Anyway, before we begin, I would like to say that the main reason I don't respond publicly in these author notes to reviews is mostly because I don't want to accidentally spoil things. If I am PC'd it's one thing, but on a public statement... I don't trust myself enough to address certain things; if there is a way to screw it up, I probably would. There is some stuff that I have been able to address without spoiling, but that's mostly due to questions or things brought up that either don't come up in the story or that they don't impact it. Sorry if some guests who don't have an account on here that I don't respond to you directly to you, but I hope you understand. Maybe this policy may change in the future. For those who do have an account, you can always send me a PM, and I'll be more than happy to respond. I know this stance may seem weird, but you'd understand better if you knew me personally I suppose... maybe with my next story I can be more open about this.**

 **But there was one person particular asking what many others probably have been: how Touma get's out of his prison cell? Well; the answer is below my friends... It may not seem like it, but there is a method to my madness...**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"You've gotten really good at direct combat, Master." Euryale the Archer spoke as she walked over several bodies. They belonged to magi part of the cabal, but they have long since expired.

"It's still not enough though… sure it works, but something's missing…" Minho was farther ahead, standing in place. He had his hands in his pockets and was rocking his head back and forth.

"Maybe you'll feel more at peace when the grail is complete… after all; with you tapping into the grail's power directly, there'd be next to no way for anyone to stand up to you then." Archer replied with a smile. "I suppose that does lead to the big question… what do you intend to do when the grail's power is complete?"

"Who the hell knows?" Minho grinned. "When you're on the verge of having unlimited power… you ask yourself; what's the first thing I'm going to do? Will it be something for me? Something for the world? Both? Neither? When you're facing unlimited possibilities it can be really difficult to pick just one thing to do." Minho turned to face his servant with something of a grin on his face.

Several blue markings were all over his face, all connected, as if it was some kind of circuit. Each one emitted a pale blue light, and they all seemed to extend down his neck; presumably his entire body was covered in these designs.

Euryale the Archer smiled back as if she was the happiest girl in the world.

"Of course… I understand completely." Archer replied.

"It's funny, you know?" Minho spoke. "When all this started… I was just thinking it was a waste of time; that it'd fail… but then Lazarus and his boys pulled through and the spell to force a war succeeded… then I was waiting to see how things would evolve, and then I could vanish into the backdrop of society again with the new-found knowledge… but then the Imagine Breaker dropped down that night and fucked things up… but without all of that, I wouldn't really be here right now like this…"

"Don't forget; if their plan had gone how it was supposed to, you would have died and had been transformed into a proper Lesser Grail." Archer replied.

"Right, right… I owe Kamijou and Lazarus a proper thank you for all of this…" Minho nodded.

"Maybe… a special brand of reward for them should be your first action then…?" Archer suggested.

"…You see, now you're on to something." Minho stated. "Alright… two servants are down, and we need at least five more to get this up and rolling… lets mosey." The curse master resumed his march forward with his Servant close behind.

 **-US Controlled Platform-**

"T-t-the President of the United States!? Here!?" Rin shouted.

"…As glad as I am that someone finally remembered who I was; I do have a name." Roberto crossed his arms. He began to look around with a look of curiosity. "He's not here… guess he must have snuck on ahead in all the chaos…"

"…Who?" Shirou asked.

"Another friend of Touma's who was looking for a ride apparently… he said he could have gotten up here on his own, but figured it would have been a pain. He gave me this idea so I decided to give him a lift!" Roberto cheerfully replied.

"…Ok, not going to question that… but what the hell is the President of the United State of America doing in a live combat zone!?" Rin asked.

"…You mean other than commanding the army?" Roberto crossed his arms.

"Ok smartass… I mean on the frontline…" Rin's eye twitched.

"Oh… that's the idea that Touma's friend gave me!" Roberto replied. "You see… there are many Presidents that have fought in war prior to them taking office… but not one has directly fought in live combat while as the acting commander-in-chief!" The large man laughed. "Think about it; headline news: President takes up arms to defend his allies, joining the conflict to save the United Kingdom personally! It's a massive boost to my approval ratings just waiting to happen!"

"…Really…?" Rin asked in apparent disbelief.

"I even have a photo of me and these boys posing together prior to starting this operation, ready to submit to news outlets everywhere!" Roberto gave a strong thumbs up. "Besides… it's a way better thing to be known for over just being the first Hispanic President… I constantly advocated for my legacy to be the first President who was a high school drop-out… but my advisors said that it would have a negative impact on the youth for some reason…"

"I…I can't… I meet the leader of a foreign nation and he ends up being an over-the-top moron…" Rin sighed.

"Clearly you haven't met Queen Elizard yet." Roberto commented. Rin simply glared back at the President.

"It's ok, Tohsaka-san… just calm down…" Shirou spoke. "So… this is just a response to Caster declaring war, right?"

"Correct… though admittedly if they hadn't taken the young Touma into their custody, I probably wouldn't have come along personally… but that's all what-ifs and what-not." Roberto replied. "We are here to end this conflict by any means necessary… though we would like a peaceful one if it could be reached."

"…That would be ideal… though I doubt Caster would budge on her terms…" Shirou crossed his own arms as he thought out loud.

"Come now… clearly you don't know of my exploits with women! If it is a negotiation with a cute girl, it is sure to succeed! And this Caster you keep speaking off appeared to be quite beautiful indeed…" Roberto replied, putting one hand to his chin.

"Really… really!? You think just sweet-talking her is going to end this!?" Rin shouted.

"To quote myself: when I truly go after a woman, I give her such a memorable experience that any previous complaints are blown away. Just convince her to spend an hour alone with me and some fine wine and she'll be more than happy to call this whole thing off." Roberto replied.

"She is Semiramis, the Wise Queen of Assyria! You know; the one who poisoned her second husband and gained control of his empire!?" Rin shouted, grabbing Roberto's collar with both of her hands. "Do you really think it would work like that!? And even if it did, your death would be inevitable! How can you not now any of this!?"

"High school drop-out." Roberto replied. Rin's response was to let out a horrifying scream as she rapidly shook the President back and forth.

"T-Tohsaka-san! Clam down! You're violently shaking the President of the United States in front of his military!" Shirou did his best to pry Rin off of Roberto.

"EVERYTHING I KNOW IS A LIE!" Rin screamed loud, finally letting go and wandering off to try and calm herself.

"…Hey, you have quite the fiery woman on your hands… good choice; those are the best." Roberto whispered into Shirou's ear.

"…C-could you stop messing with her? Please?" Shirou pleaded.

"…I wasn't." Roberto cocked his head to the side.

"…Ah… ok then…" Shirou replied, not being even remotely eager to try and comprehend all that he had just heard. "S-so… what happens now?"

"My men are securing the perimeter and setting out defenses. There is a lot of fighting all over this fortress and this appears to be the first line we have been able to break through, so this becomes our primary staging point for the rest of this operation." Roberto replied. "Troops will be flown in here to fight these magicians in ground combat, while our air forces pressure their fortifications in other areas. Half of my men are here to keep a standing force here to guard this point, while the other half consists of specialists that will be infiltrating deeper into the facility."

"…C-compared to everything I just heard… that was surprisingly well thought out…" Index commented.

"Don't underestimate him… he is a buffoon when he wants to be, but can be quite cunning and tactical as well…" Othinus stated.

"…Now there's a face I didn't expect to see again… I didn't notice you before…" Roberto commented in a somewhat serious tone. Othinus turned away with a sour look but Roberto leaned down to whisper into the tiny Magic God's ear. "…So, how are those ideas I gave you working out between you and Mr. Kamijou Touma."

Index's eye twitched.

"…Progress is slow, but his defenses are weakening. Sooner or later he will be in the palm of my hand." Othinus replied back, noticeably red-faced but still appearing confident.

"Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing!?" Index shouted. "Othinus, what are you planning to do with Touma!?"

"…We'll talk later." Roberto stated. Othinus gave him a thumbs up.

"…I see I am going to have to increase my determination as well… prepare yourself, Magic God." Index stated.

"Good luck; I welcome your pathetic struggling as you try to surpass me in the rankings!" Othinus shot back.

"…Rin-chan. Rin-chan…" Shirou patted Rin's back repeatedly. "Please wake up Rin-chan, I'm losing control of the situation here…"

"…H-huh?" Rin seemed to be in a daze.

"We need to go… but I need your support…" Shirou replied. "I'll do whatever you want, just give me a hand here."

"…In the shower when we get home." Rin replied. Though she was frowning, her face was flushed.

"…F-fine. For as long as you want." Shirou replied. He helped his girlfriend to his feet.

"Ah… I see she is doing much better now." Roberto spoke.

"Y-yeah… thanks." Shirou replied. "Listen, me and my friends need to get going. We're here to save Kamijou-san too. Thank you for your help but we need to save him."

"…I suppose so. Time is of the essence." Roberto nodded. He then pulled out a radio from his back pocket and spoke. "Hey, what's the ETA for that defensive perimeter?"

"We're just putting the finishing touches. The next wave of troops is incoming as we speak." Was the reply from the other side of the line.

"Good. Now tell bravo team to report to me; it's time to roll out." Roberto replied.

"Roger!" The soldier replied.

"…So that thing about the President being the head of the military is true?" Shirou asked.

"One-hundred percent." Roberto replied. "Once my boys report in, we'll be set to go."

"You're… joining us?" Rin asked.

"Of course! Well… unless you don't want some professional military backup! Heh!" Roberto smiled. "We're after the same thing after all."

"…If you'll help us, we accept it. Thank you very much." Shirou stated.

"Don't worry about it… now; we have a war to end and a boy to save, don't we?"

 **-Unknown Location-**

"Man… all the magicians we've met so far have been so pathetic… it's sad…" Thor commented.

"You know… it's hard to get information if you keep beating them all within an inch of their lives!" Lessar shouted. Mjölnir rolled along behind the girl. "They keep passing out after you're done with them… can't you hold back a little bit so we can get something to go on here? We don't even know where we are, much less where Touma is!"

"Getting Kamijou-chan is not the only reason I'm here you know… I'm browsing." Thor stated as he walked.

"…Browsing for what exactly?" Lessar asked.

"Diamonds in the rough. I know the masters of these Servants rolling around up are probably good, but I want to see if there are any secret gems lying around…" Thor commented. "I'm only saving Kamijou-chan so I can have a good opponent for later, after all!"

"Hey! You can't go picking fights with him!" Lessar commented. "He's going to be the star that New Light has been searching for, and I'll get all the credit for recruiting him!"

"Really? I recall several instances from the reports I got about World War Three that you were constantly trying to sleep with him." Thor replied.

"If it convinces him to join then I'll dress up as a cat girl if I have to! I don't care what kind of twisted fetish he has; I'll exploit the hell out of it if it forces him to join up! Heehee!" Lessar stated proudly.

"…You have no shame." Thor deadpanned.

"Pride is for the weak! Now; let's actually focus on getting Kamijou Touma, ok? My future with New Light depends on it!" Lessar shouted. Mjölnir rolled around and began to rumble, hitting her sides against the ground.

"…Right, we should keep moving at least." Thor shrugged. The trio marched down the path in front of them for a time until an explosion up ahead caught their attention. The three raced onward to see what had happened.

A wall had exploded to the right, leaving behind a whole that led outside, signifying that the path was on the outer edges of the Hanging Gardens. Four figures stood in the dust cloud left over from the explosion.

One was a man who had red hair and was dressed in a red robe.

One looked like a Spartan Soldier.

One was a woman with glasses and a black skirt, holding a trident.

The final one was wearing a grey knight's helmet that hid most of his face from view.

"Lazarus… looks like your assumption that Caster is no longer actively attacking those trying to invade is true." The woman, Victoria, stated. Lazarus nodded.

"It's a long-shot considering the past few days… are you sure this course of action is the best?" Dand asked. Once again, Lazarus simply nodded in response.

"…Hey, speaking as if we aren't here is really rude you know." Thor called out.

"Leave us be. We have no time for insignificant worms." Victoria was quick to reply to the lightning god.

"Insignificant? Listen here Secretary-Chan, clearly you don't know who I am, so don't go off making rude assumptions about people unless you want me to get mad." Thor replied.

"…Secretary… Chan?" Victoria repeated. She heard a "Pfft!" sound from Dand and she was quick to glare at him.

"Yeah seriously; the glasses, the short skirt with the button-up blouse that shows off your chest's front curve; all you need would be a desk and a computer and you could be a sexy secretary for some top executive." Thor replied. Victoria's eye visibly twitched as Dand struggled to contain laughter.

"Thor! These four aren't even involved! Stop picking fights with everyone you see! You're going to get us killed!" Lessar shouted.

"Dying is your job Meat-Shield-San." Thor commented.

"…I've changed my mind! Secretary-chan! Blast this guy with everything you got!" Lessar called out. Mjölnir seemed to move back and forth as if agreeing with the idea.

"Y-you just called me that too you little brat!" Victoria shouted. "Lazarus! Do something! Some brats are insulting your little sister and you just stand there!?"

Lazarus turned his head to face Victoria, blinking as he did so.

"W-what do you mean you always thought the same thing and didn't want to insult my tastes!?" Victoria shouted. Dand was in full-blown laughter mode now.

"Even your boss- did you just say Lazarus? As in Lazarus Wolfchild?" Thor shifted topics quickly. Just as he did Victoria aimed her trident and a bright yellow beam fired from it, striking the lightning god's right shoulder and sending him back.

"C-crap! I didn't think she'd actually do it! Still… serves him right." Lessar commented. Mjölnir stood up and nodded toward Lessar in agreement.

"That is your single warning." Water seemed to flow from segments of the trident and coil around Victoria. "Bad mouth us again or attempt to assault us and I will not hesitate."

"…Well! How about that?" Thor suddenly jumped to his feet. His clothes were blasted away around his shoulder, which was clearly damaged, but the lightning god had little trouble moving his arm around. "Cute girl dresses in tight office clothes and can even pack a punch! I think I'm in love." Thor popped his neck.

"…We have little time to spare." Lancer walked forward. "If these people insist on impeding our progress, allow me to deal with them." The Spartan looked ready for a fight, but Lazarus put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. He then pointed two fingers at a section of the ceiling and a small blast of energy fired from the tips, hitting and causing an explosion that forced a collapse of the hallway, separating the two groups.

"…Not bad… looks like my browsing has paid off. Got my hands on a cabal boss." Thor commented. "He might have escaped for now… but I know he isn't going far."

"…Thor, we need to focus. Touma is in some serious trouble here! Who knows what they could be doing to him! You can't have a fight with him if he dies, right?" Lessar shouted.

"…I suppose." Thor frowned. "Fine… I reserve the right to fight whoever I want but you do have a point… let's go save Kamijou-chan." Thor nodded. The trio then went back down the path they had come, looking for an alternate route.

 **-Hamazura's Location-**

"…I have an update." Takitsubo stated. "Lazarus Wolfchild has just boarded the Hanging Gardens of Babylon."

"I can confirm… if his subordinate is the owner of Lancer, as you have said, then they are likely aboard. Lancer just entered my detection range as well." Ruler added.

"We have a detector for Servants and a detector for Espers… seems like we will be masters at avoiding danger." Hamazura joked.

As if in response to the dirty blonde's wise crack, a heavy shockwave could be felt, but it was down a different path than the one they had been traveling and despite its power, it was reverently far away.

"…You see? Danger is all the way over there and we're all the way over here. Heh!" Hamazura laughed.

"…Unfortunately, in a situation like this one, we more than likely have to travel closer to danger." Artoria stated. "We don't know who is fighting or what they are fighting over… a group very well could have liberated Touma and may be under siege trying to get him to safety."

"…T-that is a good point… fucking hell, let's just go!" Hamazura shouted, running down the path. It eventually led to a large open courtyard, similar to the one that Rider had destroyed to forcefully split up the large group. One corridor leading to the room was blasted apart, but other than that it was exactly the same.

Except, this room was full of Dragon Tooth Warriors. They were bearing down relentlessly on the destroyed corridor, trying to attack something. But that something resisted.

As a matter of fact, that something blew apart all of the undead creatures; not a single one was left intact as bones flew everywhere.

"S-shit… it's the real deal… isn't it?" A voice rang out. Across the room, about twenty magi stood, the voice belonging to one of them. The group hadn't noticed them before, but with all of the skeletal monstrosities dealt with, there was little else to focus on.

"…All I am here to do is to end the aggression against the United Kingdom; if you continue resisting, I'll shorten your lifespan personally." A strong male voice sounded from within the cloud of dust left behind after the destruction. From within, a male figure walked forward, becoming more visible.

He had tea-colored hair, a muscular build, and he wore a blue-based polo shirt and blue pants. On his back he had a strange sword, and in his hand he wielded a five-meter long lance-shaped mace. Hamazura recognized the man as the one who had saved him in the plains of Russia during World War Three, and as the one he had saved in return.

He was William Orwell, formerly known as Acqua of the Back.

And as reported earlier, his power as a Saint had returned to him.

"Lend me your power… I will deal with him." One magician of the twenty spoke. A purple magic seal appeared at his feet as he clasped his hands together in front of him. The bones from the Dragon Tooth Warriors flew into the air, and after a short time they began to combine. Slowly but surely they formed a much larger monster.

It was not simply a collection of bones, or even just a giant Dragon Tooth Warrior.

It would be simpler to refer to the creature before them as a Skeletal Dragon now. Through unknown means, the beast roared loudly, a shockwave rippling outward as a result.

William Orwell was not intimidated in the least. Not even his facial expression changed. All he simply did was reach for the sword on his back.

But before he could, a blonde-haired woman in red dropped down from the sky with a glowing blade formed from a shard of Curtana Second, decapitating the skeletal creature in a single blow.

"T-that's one of the princesses right… which one is she!?" A magician shouted.

"S-shit… it's the middle one! Princess Carissa!" Another answered.

"I tried something like this before you know… and I despise being reminded of it… so you are ready to bear the responsibility for my rage, right!?" Carissa shouted as she swung her blade made of light, unleashing a wave of energy that forced the group of magi to scatter.

"This goes beyond your failed Coup d'état, this is for the world…!" The mage from before shouted. "And… we're far from finished!" He once more clasped his hands together and once more the bones flew into the sky. "This is just the first step, soon all of mankind will be saved, and if a few measly lives have to be taken, then so-"

He was interrupted when gunfire rang out, hitting the magician, as well as several others before they could project some kind of barrier. The bones fell back to the floor as the magician casting the spell was taken out.

"What the fuck kind of logic is that!?" Hamazura shouted as he fired his rifle. "Who the fuck are you to say whose life is measly and unimportant, huh!? Where the hell do you get of shouting bullshit that killing innocent people is going to save the world!? As if we're going to accept a shitty idea like that!" Bullets continued to fly through the air as he yelled, slamming either into barriers or taking unfortunate magicians off guard.

"More of them…!" A magician spoke. Another gathered magic energy and formed it into a spear of power, hurling it over his shoulder at an arc, the spear of energy flying toward Hamazura as he was forced to reload. The dirty blonde began to move, but was surprised when Ruler dashed out in front of him.

" **Luminosite Eternelle!"** Ruler slammed her battle standard down into the ground and a barrier suddenly formed around the group, and the spear smashed into it and exploded violently. However, the barrier wasn't affected in the slightest, withstanding the blast with ease.

"H-hey…!" Hamazura cried out in shock, only to have the Ruler smile back at him.

"I told you… I can't intervene with battles between Servants… however; everything else is up to my discretion… including those I desire to save." She spoke. The magi began to move shortly afterward.

"C-crap… Regroup! Re-"

They didn't get a chance to utter another word as William Orwell had already appeared within their ranks. And with one swing of his mace, a shockwave erupted out in all directions, striking each and every magician around.

Not a single one was conscious after the attack.

"…What are you doing here?" William turned to face Hamazura, genuinely surprised.

"…I'd ask you the same thing, but you kind-of announced it when we first walked in…" Hamazura replied, holding his rifle over his shoulder. "Friend of mine was taken, that's all there is to it."

"…I see, so you are part of the forces here to save the Imagine Breaker." William replied. Hamazura nodded as the Saint heaved his mace over his shoulder.

"…Makes sense, explains why this one has appeared before me again." Carissa stated, glaring right at Artoria. The King of Knights suddenly froze, slow turning to face the red princess.

"L-l-like I said, I d-d-didn't mean to-"

"You have some nerve, trying to defend yourself when you're so clearly guilty… after all; I was there when you broke into my room with that spikey-haired piece of shit!" Carissa aimed her blade at Artoria, whew threw her hands up in the air, trying to appear innocent.

"…What did you and the boss do?" Hamazura asked with a deadpan expression.

"S-s-sure it was my idea… but the front guards didn't let us in… they even ignored me when I announced who I was… and…" Artoria looked away with apparent shame as she trailed off.

"…I would show some respect to a former king." William spoke. Artoria seemed to return to normal and shifted her gaze to face the Saint.

"…So you are aware?" She asked.

"Indeed. We were keeping a close eye on the fifth war… It is safe to assume you are one of the remainders from the Illegal Grail War." William spoke.

"…So she's a Servant then? Enlighten me; who is she then?" Carissa asked.

"King Arthur, though she goes by a different name now." William replied.

"…So that girl over there is King Arthur then?" The red princess asked. William nodded. "So it was King Arthur… who blasted in through my window and saw me changing?"

"…What. Did. You. And. The. Boss. Do!?" Hamazura shouted.

"I-I… I just wanted to meet the royal family…." Artoria hung her head low, appearing depressed.

"T-this is hardly the time to be discussing this!" Ruler stepped forward as the voice of reason.

"And who are you?" Carissa turned to face the Ruler.

"Jeanne D'Arc, I am the Ruler-Class Servant for this war." Ruler announced.

"Oh? Is that so? That makes things a little ironic and maybe even a little bit sad in a few ways." Carissa commented. "Wouldn't you think, William Orwell?"

"…? What do you mean?" Ruler asked, appearing confused.

"He is William Orwell, a former Saint heavily involved with the British Halloween incident as well as World War Three…" Artoria spoke. During her time as a civilian, she had begun to research various events happening in the British Isles since her death, and inevitably came across details about Carissa's rebellion as well as the most recent global war."

"Not bad, not bad… though the former moniker is a little out of date, isn't that right?" Carissa asked confidently.

"You lost your status as a Saint, but managed to reclaim it?" Ruler asked. "…How?"

"…I heard a voice." William replied, causing Ruler's eyes to widen. "It called out to me, asking me to stand up and fight. I did not understand… but shortly after, this event began. The rest should be obvious."

"…The word of God." Ruler stepped forward. "He had seen you and the plight about to befall your people, and he restored your strength so you could help protect them…"

"Similar to you, it would seem." William stated. "That is why I must ask for your forgiveness."

"Why? What has happened…?" Ruler asked.

"There was a cabal, known as Knights of Orleans…" William began. "They were tormenting children in order to recreate the miracle that turned you into a Saint yourself. They were sacrificing so much to create a second Jeanne D'Arc… but their intentions were far from pure."

"…I see." Ruler spoke. "I will not ask for further details… as I can tell that their intentions were wicked. If you ask for forgiveness, then I shall grant your wish… along with this maiden's humble thanks for halting their destructive efforts. Even if they did follow me or if they were descendants of those that did, I am grateful you stopped them before they unleashed evil upon the world." She bowed, as did the saint she faced.

"…The world of magic is a dangerous place." Takitsubo spoke up.

"No doubt… but it can't be all bad if it makes small moments like this." Hamazura replied. "Alright, I don't think either of us can wait around anymore, right?"

"…Right." Acqua turned to face the dirty blonde, only to find him holding his hand out.

"Never really got to introduce ourselves last time, right?" Hamazura spoke as William grabbed his hand. "Hamazura Shiage, just call me Hamazura. And this is my girlfriend, Takitsubo Rikou, nice to meet you, William Orwell."

The normally stoic Saint let out a small smile.

"Likewise," William replied. "I will be continuing my fight against these magicians who intend on destroying London, I wish you luck in locating your friend."

"Right back at you, big guy. You stay safe; I won't be right around the corner for a pep talk, understand?" Hamazura joked. With that, the two went down different corridors, running full speed ahead, their allies close behind.

 **-Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Prison-**

"Well… something's going on outside…" Touma commented. He had been feeling shockwaves for a while, but he still couldn't find a way out of his cell to even attempt to see what was happening.

He was locked away in a cage specifically designed for him. Moreover, he didn't actually know where he was; everything was unknown.

He thought for a moment… he doubted its chance of success before, but he was now seriously considering calling his Servant to his side, even if the chances of the King of Heroes attacking him for doing so were high.

He had to get out. He wanted to get out.

Something was happening and he had to know what it was.

And just then, his prayers were answered, but not by a Heroic Spirit dressed in gold.

"W-what the hell!?" Touma fell backward as all the doors to each and every cell suddenly popped off their hinges and slammed together in the middle of the hallway, before suddenly falling to the ground. Faint footsteps rang out, growing louder as whoever was making them came closer.

Touma waited, not sure what to do, but froze when he saw a figure step in front of his cell.

Lazarus Wolfchild was standing before him.

With one motion of his finger, the remaining bars all were forced out of their sockets and fell to the ground, allowing the cabal boss better access to the cell.

Touma gritted his teeth, he wasn't sure what Lazarus was planning, but he didn't like that it involved him.

The cabal boss stopped right in front of him. He gazed at the Imagine Breaker for a time before he made his move…

…Kneeling down and holding out a single hand to Touma, as if asking, "Hey… do you need a hand?"

* * *

 **Welcome to the bottom. As you can see, Touma is free once more... but his savior is none other than Lazarus Wolfchild himself... what does this mean!?**

 **Find out next time my friends... I hope some of your questions have been answered, but we still have more story to go through...**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your Leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day everyone!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	23. Progress

**And we have arrived once more. Not much to say this time around, so lets get to it!**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Are… you serious?" Touma asked in a confused tone.

Lazarus nodded quickly. Touma didn't know what to think; Lazarus was the one who put all of these events into motion, and from the sound of things he caused quite a bit of chaos.

Lazarus had an unknown plan that could only be accomplished by using the Holy Grail, so he abused the system to force one, and intended to rig the entire contest in his favor.

The plot was devious, and the cabal boss was strong, easily able to overpower the unlucky Kamijou with ease if he wanted.

Yet here Lazarus stood, offering a helping hand. To say that Touma was suspicious was an understatement.

"…I suppose in this situation, I don't have much choice…" Touma sighed, grabbing ahold of the hand offered to him with his own left. Lazarus pulled Touma up to his feet quickly.

The cabal boss patted Touma's shoulders repeatedly, as if expressing joy. There was an unusual soft in his eyes as well. This only seemed to confuse the unlucky Kamijou more, as this behavior seemed to completely betray the perception he had of him.

"Good, you managed to find him…" A female voice called out, eventually revealing it to be Victoria, with Dand not far behind. "I suppose that means this operation was a success."

Lazarus nodded, putting his arm around Touma's neck in a very friendly manner.

"H-hey! Careful!" Touma shouted. Dand began to laugh.

"How about that! Lazarus has taken a liking to you despite only knowing each other for a short time!" He bellowed.

"I have no idea what's going on! Can someone fill me in already!?" Touma shouted. Victoria adjusted her glasses before she began to speak.

"Allow me to explain," She began. "Right now, you have been held in the prison block of a flying fortress, simply known as the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon," and it is currently making its way towards London with the intent of destroying it."

"…I see…" Touma sighed. "Explains all those explosions I keep hearing… must be people trying to stop it."

"And to save you, my friend." Dand spoke up. "It seems like you have more than a few allies willing to fight to get you to safety."

"R-really? I'm not sure how they knew I was here but…" Touma scratched his cheek.

"That is irrelevant. This entire situation is a trap… but as for why, details are unknown." Victoria spoke. "Right now, we could care less about the Holy Grail… all we are focused on now is taking control of our cabal back. Albert, the son of our former leader, appears to have taken charge and is leading the majority of our subordinates into this operation, and we simply want an end to this insanity."

"And we figured since you were probably unhappy in this tiny cell, that it would be a perfect opportunity for some emergency recruitment!" Dand spoke.

"…I'm not joining any cabal… but if you guys really do want to help, I'm in. Sounds like they've been using the fact they captured me to lure people here… I'm not going to let people die for my sake." Touma replied.

"Oh? You seem awfully trusting… not too long ago we were enemies of yours, were we not?" Victoria asked.

"I know," Touma began. "But fact of the matter is… if you guys wanted me dead, you wouldn't have sprung me. And I can believe that you guys have some kind of stake in all of this considering this is your cabal doing this, and this country is your home under siege. I don't really trust you… but since we're even here having this conversation, I think it's safe to say we're both out of options."

"…Well said. You summed up the situation perfectly." Victoria replied. "…Although I do find it strange that Lazarus has become so friendly with you so quickly."

"…Why is he so quiet, anyway? He hasn't said a word." Touma asked.

"Ah, picked up on that, did you?" Dand began. "You see, our friend Lazarus currently is unable to speak, however Victoria can transcribe his thoughts."

Lazarus nodded quickly, collaborating what his subordinate was saying.

"…I see." Touma's reply was simple, but he was confused about something.

The way they spoke implied that Lazarus could speak before, but now he can't. What could have happened to the cabal boss to cause such a strange injury?

But also…

"…Couldn't he have just learned sign language or something?" Touma commented.

Lazarus held up his hands, covered in overly-large metal gauntlets. He glanced back and forth between them before looking up at Touma and shrugged, as if he was asking, "Hey, what do you expect me to do with this?"

"…Good point. That would be difficult…" Touma sighed. "Is there anything else you guys can tell me?"

"Well, it is very likely that all of the masters involved with the war are on board… but beyond that we don't have much." Dand replied.

"…So more than likely Minho is here…" Touma spoke.

"It would seem we also have a shared target as well…" Victoria commented. "Minho was the one who set all of this in motion; convincing us to force a Grail war… he has been a pain in our side since his arrival, but to think he would wait so long to reveal his true colors…"

Lazarus was now punching his fist into an open palm.

"Seems that way, Secretary-Chan." Touma replied.

"Don't call me that!" Victoria shouted as Dand began to laugh again. Lazarus stepped away from Touma as if he was getting ready to dodge something.

"W-what am I supposed to say with the way you look!? Besides; you never really introduced yourself! I don't know what your name is!" Touma shouted back.

"Victoria Wolfchild… please remember it. If you call me Secretary-Chan again, I'll be impaling you." She spoke, pushing up her glasses.

"G-got it…" Touma sighed.

"…Oho! What is this?" Dand pointed at Touma's left hand. "Hiding something, are we?"

"Huh….? Ah crap!" Touma shouted. The fake skin that Tsuchimikado had made for him had begun to peel, revealing almost all of the command seal.

"…Most interesting. I did not take notice of it during our first encounter, and you managed to hide it…" Victoria commented. "I thought that only seven masters could be picked for a Holy Grail War…"

"It's a long story…" Touma sighed. "Look, yeah I'm a master but my Servant isn't here, please don't ask about it…"

"So you are one of the remainders I had heard about form a previous war." A new voice sounded, and after a moment Lancer materialized behind Dand.

"G-guessing he's your Servant then… heh." Touma spoke.

"Guilty as charged, haha!" Dand laughed, holding up his right hand to show his own command seal. "Well, I think that's enough of the formalities… the Caster of this war is the one who started this invasion, I think it's time we roll out and end it."

"Hold on… we may be working together, but I will say this only once, Kamijou Touma." Victoria spoke. "Above all else, you must avoid touching Lazarus with your right hand. Something catastrophic will occur if you do."

Lazarus nodded in agreement.

"…If you say so." Touma answered. "If that's all, let's get going before someone finds us."

 **-Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Shirou's location-**

"So… the interrogation of the surviving magicians gave us information revolving around the prison's location… one can even confirm that they saw Kamijou Touma in his cell…" Roberto was looking over a hand-held PDA.

"Really? So we can head straight there?" Index asked.

"Straight is figurative… this entire fortress is a confusing maze, but I do have a basic idea of where he's being held." Roberto replied, putting his PDA away.

"Think it could be a trap? Giving us false information on purpose?" Rin asked.

"Only one way to find out when you're already knee-deep in enemy territory. If anything it should give us some kind of starting point." The President shrugged.

"It'll work out. Let's just keep going for now; we have a fairly reliable group of people in case things go south." Shirou commented, referring to the small detachment of armed soldiers around them. They pressed on, and eventually made their way out into a circular room, much like the courtyards from before, but noticeably smaller.

The sound of numerous footsteps rang out from one of the corridors. The soldiers raised their guns towards the hallway.

"Alright, whoever you are, come out with your hands up, unless you want a stomach full of lead." Roberto shouted, revving his minigun.

"Like hell! Shove it up your ass!" A female voice shouted back, seemingly around the corner of the corridor.

"…Wait… that voice…" Index spoke, stepping ahead of the group. "…Birdway?"

"Huh? Index?" The female voice sounded again. A head poked around the corner of the corridor, revealing Index's guess to be correct as it did indeed belong to the blonde cabal boss. "Holy shit… since when did you have armed security?"

"Since we picked up the President of the United States…" Rin spoke with a sigh. Roberto held up one hand, focusing attention on himself.

"…God damn, seems like you've been busy." Leivinia blinked. "Luckily I've been busy myself!" The blonde cabal boss stepped out into the open and after a moment, the collation of espers that was with her walked out as well. Roberto ordered his men to stand down; it appeared that the group entering the room was friendly.

"Holy hell… Academy City really did not like one of their Espers being taken, did they?" Roberto commented.

"Probably not, but that's not why we're here. Most of us seem to have some kind of connection to that idiot." Mikoto replied.

"Hey, hey! Super long time no see, Thighs!" Kinuhata spoke.

"D-don't you start using that weird nick-name too you brat!" Rin shouted.

"Any of you seen Hamazura? Or Takitsubo?" Mugino asked.

"Not a trace… I was hoping you guys could have seen Artoria anywhere…" Shirou replied. Mugino shook her head no.

"The shitty level 0 is here too?" Accelerator commented. "Guess this is a regular party then, isn't it?"

"I'm super surprised with this turn-out though." Kinuhata spoke. "I know me and Mugino are the exceptions, but do all of you really have that deep of a connection with Kamijou-san?"

"His important ability is rather high with a lot of people." Misaki spoke. "Some may see him as a friend and want to help, but others may be in love with him and want to see him safe, you know!"

"H-hey! Be careful about who your trying to single out you dairy cow!" Mikoto shouted as her face was turning a shade of red.

"But Misaka-san… I never once mentioned your name…" Misaki replied. Mikoto froze as her blush deepened.

"You little…!" The Railgun spat.

"…Figures short-hair would come after Touma…" Index commented.

"Don't you start with me… I've been holding back on purpose for that idiot's sake, but he's far away from here, isn't he… Silver Sister?" Sparks flew from Mikoto's bangs. The two had managed to stay civil in the unlucky Kamijou's presence, but it was more than obvious the two still had a bone to pick with each other.

"I don't mean to interrupt the get together, but we should move out." Roberto shouted. "You never know when more enemies will appear… let's go."

Everyone seemed to agree and began to roll out as a much larger unit. The more people made them a bigger target, but also gave them much more of an offensive presence, especially with the powerful level 5s so close.

They continued to walk for about fifteen minutes before they again started to feel shocks in the ground, evident of explosive combat. After a short discussion, they decided to move toward it to investigate the situation.

And what they discovered was a true war between magi. By all appearances, it was a combination of the Amakusa Remix, as well as the Agnese Forces fighting an enemy collation of magicians. Unlike previous encounters, it was purely a battle of magic; the undead soldiers being clearly absent from the fight. The clash appeared to be violent, but otherwise mostly even.

Except for a single giant monster made of flames fighting on the side of the church.

"That right there is Innocentius… guess that means Necessarius made their move." Leivinia commented.

"Ah, so the forces of the United Kingdom have broken through as well… it would be safe to call them friends, yes?" Roberto asked. Index suddenly shot out from the group, running into the group of magi.

"W-what the hell!? God damn it, help these guys out I'll go after her!" Leivinia shouted. The groups then split as the blonde cabal boss gave chase to the silver-haired nun.

"Tell me, exactly what the hell are we doing!?" Othinus shouted as she gripped Index's habit as the girl ran.

"These are my people… I need to find someone and see if they know anything!" Index replied. She continued to run, occasionally using spell intercept to send magic back to the opposing side.

She was actually looking for someone specific.

A spear-wielding girl by the name of Itsuwa, if the Amakusa remix was here, undoubtedly that girl would be as well.

And this was confirmed when Index accidentally tripped and fell onto the girl in question.

"O-oww…" Itsuwa mumbled as she pushed herself up. "I-Index? What are you…?"

"No time!" Index shouted. "Tell me, has the owner of this fortress made a move on London yet?"

"No… no attacks have been made on the city proper; everything in London is safe." Itsuwa was quick to answer. Index let out a relieved sigh.

"Alright… I think I know the answer to this, but I have to ask anyway; Have you seen Touma yet?" The silver-haired nun asked. Itsuwa shook her head, and Index frown in response, but Itsuwa smiled.

"But we know where he is." She spoke.

"R-really!?" Index shot up.

"Yes, our trackers have confirmed a null-point when we first made our entry into the fortress. On top of that, some of our more creative magi have used echolocation to map-out most of the fortress, and the areas we were able to do so overlapped with the null-point; we know exactly where he is."

"Is that so." Leivinia poked her head into the conversation, causing Itsuwa to recoil with shock.

"L-Leivinia Birdway of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight!?" She shouted.

"Damn right… so that's what you took off for… clever." Leivinia commented.

"Which direction is it Itsuwa?" Index questioned.

"The closest path is ahead, behind those mages. The priestess already has gone on ahead to try and rescue him." The spear-wielding magician replied. The term priestess referring to a Saint known as Kanzaki Kaori.

"Alright, looks like we got one way forward… let's make it nice and flashy!" Leivinia announced as the trio joined the conflict currently running in full swing.

 **-Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Prison-**

"Whoa, what the fuck happened here?" Hamazura commented. The four had just walked into the dungeons of the Hanging Gardens only to find each jail cell fiercely ripped open, the doors lying all across the floor. One even had all of the bars that constituted the cell torn off.

"No idea… but it appears Kamijou-san is long gone…" Takitsubo commented. "I thought I felt Lazarus in this area, but he has already left… I don't think he'd have much reason to take Kamijou-san in though."

"Yeah… shit, think we're too late and Gilgamesh beat us here?" Hamazura commented.

"This is more than a little excessive for him… but he is more than powerful enough to do this." Artoria stated.

"I wouldn't worry; someone else managed to save the Imagine Breaker." A male voice sounded from behind. Artoria quickly turned and pointed her blade at the neck of the man who had just approached them.

"Who are you; answer quickly!" The King of Knights demanded.

"Ollerus. If you want my life, simply push the blade forward." The man replied. He made no action to try and move either himself or the blade in front of him.

"…I assume you come in peace then. Betray my mercy at your own peril." Artoria withdrew her blade.

"I assure you that is very much the case… I assumed that my associates and I were the first to arrive here… but clearly that is wrong. And this is simply too violent of a scene to say that the lords of this castle had come to retrieve him… so we can only assume that one of the many groups and organizations invading this facility have already made off with the young Kamijou." Ollerus explained.

"Is that so…" Artoria didn't seem convinced.

"I wouldn't dare lie to the King of Knights. If my words have proven false, you may have my head, should you desire it." Ollerus commented.

"…The first few times someone knew my identity based on my appearance, I was honored, but now it is getting far too frequent." Artoria replied.

"I apologize… the fifth war was far too large of an event for my organization not to observe." Ollerus gazed across the group. "…Oh my… this feeling from a Servant… could you be Joan of Arc, perhaps?"

"Able to tell at a glance…?" Ruler replied.

"No, no… I've been spending a large amount of time with Saints myself as of late… and after a while you get used to the energy of one. There were so few female Saints in ages past, so I only took a guess." Ollerus replied. "…I must say... it is quite remarkable; even as a Servant, the power of a Saint is retained…"

"Hey, buddy, stop ogling the girl, will you? It's creepy." Hamazura spat.

"O-ogling…?" Ruler glanced at Hamazura with a worried look.

"…I apologize…" Ollerus replied. Two more sets of footsteps came from behind and the strange magician turned to face them. "Any luck?"

"Not a chance in hell." Silvia replied. "Only cell with any evidence at all of anyone living there is the one with all the bars ripped off."

"There were three other halls to this prison, but all of them were left unoccupied. It would be safe to say that Kamijou Touma was this prison's first and only resident." Brunhild added.

"Is that so… and their condition?" Ollerus asked.

"Just as thrashed. Looks like whoever plowed through here searched this hallway last." Silvia commented.

"Guessing these are your associates then." Hamazura asked.

"Indeed… they are Saints, just like your friend Joan of Arc… or would you prefer Jeanne D'Arc?" Ollerus asked.

"Either is acceptable… alternatively you can simply refer to me by my class, Ruler." The Saintly Servant replied.

"No fooling?" Silvia asked. "…Hrm, now that I focus on it… I think I can tell that you're like us now… how about that?"

Just then, a heavy shockwave could be felt through the floor. Moments later, a body was seen flying through several walls, stopping at one of the jail cells. Whatever had been thrown through appeared to be buried, but the figure was quick to rise out of the debris.

"Seriously… I don't know what kind of weird state you're in… but you still hit like a dumb-truck…!" Thor commented.

"…Not you again…!" Artoria cursed.

"…Oh hey, you're still around. How's Shirou-chan doing?" Thor joked. From the opposite of the lightning god, footsteps rang out, and once more William Orwell was in front of the group.

It had appeared that Thor at some point had challenged William to a fight, and what was in front of them was the result.

"Heeeey, Thor!" Lessar called out. "Ordinarily I'd chew you out for getting into another fight, but he knocked you straight into the prison! Good job!"

"Appreciation isn't what I'm after, but that does warm my heart a little bit." Thor replied. "Downside, no sign of Kamijou-chan, just… a lot of Saints."

"Oh, you got to be kidding me!" Lessar shouted in dismay. Mjölnir rumbled back and forth, sharing the sentiment.

"Come on; kill the little shit and let's go! Our target is the throne room!" Carissa called out.

"So now there are four Saints here…" Brunhild commented.

"Five. The fifth is on the way." Ollerus commented. As if on command, a steel door down the hall was blasted apart, and an eighteen-year-old girl with long purple hair and a two-meter long katana walked onto the scene.

"This…" Kanzaki Kaori began to speak to herself, but paused when she fully took-in the scene around her, seeing several familiar faces. "…What is going on here?"

"It's a Saint-Sanctioned Bargain sale! And I'm all on board this train!" Thor called out, fusion arc blades erupting from his fingertips.

"Put the deadly magic away you shithead." Hamazura aimed his rifle at Thor. "There's a lot going on right now, and I don't think anyone wants to put up with you right now. Plus, the guy you're throwing down with happens to be a friend of mine, so back off."

"Come on… really? A gun? You're going to stop a lightning god with a gun? Stay out of my way." Thor commented, not amused in the slightest.

"…So, there are five Saints, four alive one dead, a king, a princess, and a god… all in one place. Splash in some innocent lives for some color and we have ourselves an interesting throw down, don't you think?" Silvia cracked her knuckles.

"…Either way, Kamijou Touma is not here, thus our goal should shift to the one who captured him in the first place." Ollerus commented. "Wouldn't you all agree?"

"If he is absent, then it is simply one less thing to worry about. My goal has been the woman known as Semiramis for declaring war upon the United Kingdom since the start." William replied.

"…I demand an explanation. What is going on here?" Kanzaki put one hand on her blade, ready to draw.

"Everyone is so hostile right now… Thor; you are aware this entire situation is a clever ruse to lure people here, right?" Ollerus commented.

"Kind of obvious if you think hard enough about it." Thor replied.

"Then wouldn't you think the more interesting course of action would be to call their bluff and see exactly what they're planning? It would be a very interesting encounter…"

"…Keep talking there chief, you have my attention." The lightning god replied. Ollerus smiled.

"There… if one of us is willing to compromise and put down his arms, then I think we can proceed smoothly." Ollerus let out a relieved sigh. "Now… how about we put our weapons away and gather around… some have questions, some want something else entirely… so it would be safe to say we all have much to discuss, no?"

 **-Throne Room-**

"…The numerous forces are beginning to gather together." Albert commented.

"It would appear so… but in the end that's what we want. For all those who support Kamijou Touma to gather at once so that they can be properly eliminated, as well as a sizeable piece of the United Kingdom's forces." The Sage of the Wildwood stood up. "Don't fret Albert, all is going according to plan."

"Are you sure?" Albert asked. "Our forces are dwindling… and Lazarus has gone the creative route and freed Kamijou Touma… can you truly say this is acceptable?"

"Our frontlines are falling, yes… but I assure you it will be alright." Sage replied. "Numerous cabals and organizations have answered our call upon seeing our capture of Kamijou Touma, so our reinforcements are already on their way… and many of them are already here. As for the boy… his escape is within acceptable ranges. All will make sense in time, Albert… I understand your confusion… and all that I ask is some faith."

"…I understand that." Albert replied. "…And I suppose all of us still have our Servants. We're all back in top form now… but it would appear that they will soon make their own way here."

"…Then it is simply time for us to take to the front line ourselves." Sage replied. "Rider has been working hard on our trump card… and them gathering before us is exactly what this plan requires…"

"Is it time?" Caster asked.

"It will be soon… be sure to give them a show they will never forget." Sage replied. Caster smiled and stood up from her throne before she replied.

"My dear Sage… is it not the duty of a queen to entertain her guests?"

* * *

 **And here we are at the bottom. I'll admit, this one feels a little dry but necessary at the same time. Hopefully it turned out well enough regardless.**

 **But I heard some calls last chapter of, "Where is Gilgamesh?" As people were able to figure out that he had arrived with Roberto but was strangely absent... and to those I have but one simple reply...**

 **...Next Time...**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day my friends!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	24. Return of the King

**Yet again, not much to say. I'm as eager to get into this as you all are, so lets get to it!**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

True to her word, Itsuwa and the rest of the church faction led the group to the prison, but much to their dismay, they found it in its destroyed form, with no sign of Kamijou Touma in sight. The group searched high and low, but couldn't find any sign of the spikey-haired boy. Those part of the church performed their scan once more and did find the null point, but it was on the move.

Two theories were formed; one suggested that another group had managed to liberate the unlucky Kamijou, and the other gave the idea that Caster had purposefully pulled Touma from his cell and was moving him all around the castle in the form of a wild-goose chase. Opinions varied wildly, but the group did agree on something concrete.

At its core, the Caster, Semiramis, was at the heart of the problem. If Touma was free and mobile, defeating Caster would prevent her from sending forces to intercept and capture, possibly even kill, the unlucky Kamijou. If Touma was being moved by Caster's forces, capturing the wise queen would allow them to force her to recall her troops, which would eventually end in Touma's release.

Some argued that the group should split and have those capable of tracking Touma do so, while the others move to challenge Semiramis, but the primary argument against that was as long as Touma's condition was unknown, the forces moving Touma could very well be a trap, and if it wasn't, splitting the group too much could make defeating Caster impossible depending on her own fortifications.

It was eventually agreed that they should move to take the throne room and deal with the Wise Queen. It was easy to locate, as the Servant had a powerful mana signature. The large group made their way swiftly. The exited out into another courtyard; it was significantly larger than the others and the ceiling was non-existent, revealing the night sky to all; several commenting on how long they must have been fighting aboard the Hanging Gardens. On the other side of the path, a large and wide set of stairs could be seen leading up to another area; their detection abilities led them to believe that the stairs lead to the throne room.

And in the middle of the room, several people saw some familiar faces.

"Hey… hey, Mugino! We super found Hamazura and Takitsubo!" Kinuhata shouted.

"E-eh? Kinuhata? Holy shit, where have you guys been!?" Hamazura replied.

"That what I should be saying you dumbass!" Mugino shouted. "…And it looks like you've been off making friends…"

"…Holy friends apparently. Four living Saints, a god of lightning… and a princess, because why not?" Hamazura shrugged.

"A princess…?" Rin appeared confused until her eyes found a certain blonde in a red dress. "P-princess Carissa is here!? Holy crap…!"

"…God of thunder, huh?" Shirou replied with a deadpan expression.

"I feel like you're not very happy to see me, heh!" Thor stated.

"Shirou; stay away from him. I think he has every intention on starting a fight." Artoria warned. The large group began to move into the room, either to converse with those already inside or to inspect the area.

"That's not all; check out this country-bumpkin found rolling around." Hamazura stuck his thumb back towards Ruler.

"I-Is now a good time for such a familiar nickname!?" Ruler flushed red, embarrassed. "You… you… city-slicker!"

"…Heh, when she tries to say that, I can't help but find it super adorable. You can tell she's not super used to familiar stuff like this." Kinuhata commented.

"A-adorable…?" Ruler turned redder.

"I agree. She's really cute; so innocent too. She's like a new-born kitten." Takitsubo added.

"L-listen! I am an experienced soldier; I will not be made fun of like this!" Ruler shouted.

"…Yeah I super can't see it." Kinuhata replied. Takitsubo nodded in agreement.

"…H-Hamazura, do something about your friends! They won't stop bullying me!" Ruler shouted. Clearly the other half that currently made up Jeanne D'Arc due to the girl she was possessing was making her presence known.

"Pfft, they bully me all the time; I can't do shit about it." Hamazura replied. "…But if they are doing that, you must be already accepted by them."

"…Accepted?" Ruler blinked.

"Yeah, you seem cool. You might need to super convince Mugino, but you're alright in my book, I guess." Kinuhata stated.

"You helped keep Hamazura safe; that's all I need to consider." Takitsubo added.

"Oh shit, really? Yeah; full support then. Anyone who super helps pull Hamazura's ass out of the fire gets points from me." Kinuhata stated.

"Well you heard 'em." Hamazura patted the Ruler's back. "Even my girlfriend approves of you, and Mugino will warm up to you over time. I don't know how long you'll be with us, but welcome to the team, Jeanne."

"…Thank you." Ruler's face was still flushed, but she smiled warmly back at the dirty blond.

"When I look at Ruler and back at you, Artoria… I still can't help but be shocked about how well you guys can fit in so easily." Shirou commented.

"A high charisma skill always helps." Artoria replied. "…But Ruler has Hamazura, and from what I've heard they both became fast friends when they spoke casually… sometimes you just need one person to help you open up."

"Oh? And who's your one person?" Rin asked. "Or should I ask who you want your one person to be, hmm?"

"…Still on about that are you?" Artoria replied. "I thought I made it clear to stay out of my business…"

"Oh? Has the number of contestants increased again? Kamijou-san's attraction power is stronger than I thought." Misaki suddenly spoke up.

"H-hey! You stay out of this!" Artoria shouted.

"Ohhh! That's right, you can look into minds, right? Tell me; what are her honest feelings!?" Rin asked.

"Don't you dare!" Artoria shouted.

"Too bad… already tried; it's like she's on a completely different level from normal humans… I can't influence her at all." Misaki shrugged.

"Damn… probably because she's a Servant…" Rin cursed.

"…But I was able to look into yours… and oh dear… your lewd power is so… massive…" Misaki stated.

"L-lewd…!?" Shirou flushed red.

"Y-you stay out of my mind you little brat!" Rin shouted.

"I believe that this is what most would call "Karma," Rin." Artoria stated. Suddenly, both Ruler and Artoria's faces turned serious as the doors to the throne room shot wide open. Heavy feeling covered most of the room as the group moved to the center.

Slowly, a woman stepped out from the darkness that was the throne room, and that woman addressed the crowd confidently.

"You all have done well to make it this far," Caster spoke. "I hereby welcome you to my Hanging Gardens of Babylon; I trust you have found my humble home inviting?"

"Caster!" Ruler stepped forward. "So, you have finally decided to show yourself…"

"I apologize for being late… I simply had a few preparations to make, but I assure you that the festivities are ready to commence." Caster replied.

"Fuck the party," Mugino spat. "I'm after another bastard right now… but I'll take you out first as an appetizer!" Green beams of light flew through the air, racing towards the Caster.

However, the Caster simply held out her hand and a barrier formed, stopping the Meltdowner beams in their tracks.

"How sad… you think that your little lights are still a challenge for me." Caster mocked. "While aboard the Hanging Gardens, my fame bonus is pushed to the highest level possible… think of it as if I were a completely different woman from before… allow me to demonstrate!" Caster channeled and unleashed a powerful spell, easily overpowering the beams of light as it raced toward the number four Esper.

" **Luminosite Eternelle!"** Ruler slammed her battle standard down and a barrier formed around the entire group. Despite the power of Caster's spell, it barely even made a dent in the Ruler's defenses.

"So that's your Noble Phantasm… how fitting that the great hero of the one-hundred years war carries a defensive power at her side." Caster commented.

"Caster, I will make my demands clear; present your master and explain to me why you have openly declared war on the United Kingdom!" Ruler shouted.

"Aren't you overstepping your bounds as a Ruler enough? You stopped my spell, but if you continue you may interfere with me fighting that Saber-Class in your party." Caster replied.

"…As much as it pains me to admit it, Servants are allowed to kill civilian life… However; The genocide of an entire city with the use of magic, thus revealing its existence to the world should you do so, is highly against the rules of the Holy Grail War! This Saber-Class acts in my support of this judgement, so my protection of her is clearly allowed!" Ruler replied. "Now answer me, where is your master and what is the meaning of all of this!?"

"…Very well, as you wish." Caster motioned her hands, and the next figure to appear from the throne from was a little girl. "Yukiko… this lady wishes to meet you."

"Oh? Which one… ohhhhh!" Yukiko spoke in an excited tone. "There are so many people…!"

"A young child is her master…?" Artoria commented.

"…I see. Now; explain to me why you have decided to make war with the United Kingdom." Ruler asked.

"It is part of something much bigger, my dear sweet Ruler." Caster began. "It is a shared wish between all of our allies… to forge a better world, you see. And a few eggs have to get broken for our plan to rise, understand?"

"You're going to be killing thousands of innocent people, and you say it's for the sake of a better world? Have you truly gone insane…?" Ruler spat.

"If one were to claim the Holy Grail and wished for something similar to what we are about to bring forth and it costed the lives we were about to take; would you abide by that will?" Caster asked. "It is the Ruler's job to abide by the will of whom claims the grail, is it not? How hypocritical… a few changes to the scenario and you'd have to accept it… or would you rise up and betray your very reason for being here in the first place?"

"That's not…!" Ruler trailed off, gritting her teeth. "By the power of my Command Seal; end this hostility against the United Kingdom at once!" A red glow erupted from Ruler's right arm, and seemed to wash over the Caster. Despite the spells influence, the wise queen smirked.

"Yukiko, would you please?" She asked.

"By the power of my Command Seal, ignore the order of the Ruler-Class Servant." Yukiko ordered. A red light erupted from Yukiko's right hand, it's glow enveloping the Caster.

"…Understand now? You only have two seals for each Servant, while my master still has all three for me. Even if you try that again my master will simply override your demands." Caster smirked. "This is the value of my determination… as well as the determination of all who have decided to join our cause."

"…There… are more?" Ruler asked. Caster smiled and lifted her hand into the air and snapped her fingers. The circular wall around the area began to recede into the ground, and numerous figures began to pour out.

Magi of all kinds walked out freely, surrounding the large group. They all appeared to hail from different cabals and countries, with different sects of magic at their side.

"Behold! The men and woman currently fed up with the state of this world!" Caster announced. "Each one has different reasons for being here, but now they fight as one! They all understand that long since has the world only been changed by bloodshed, and that is what we intend to do this day! Now, rise up and create the future by defeating the forces that defend this nation… and by annihilating the faction surrounding the Imagine Breaker!"

There was little else to talk about; the magi charged ahead and slamming their power into the large group. It did not matter if those there were trying to simply defend their homeland, if they were part of the rumored Kamijou-faction, or a combination of the two; all the magicians saw were obstacles to their respective futures.

War raged for a time, and after a few failed assaults on a certain white haired boy, he had clearly had enough.

"Hey, that bitch called you Ruler right?" Accelerator questioned. "Tell me; think these fuckers would piss off if she died?"

"…She is their leader right now." Ruler replied after kicking away an attacker. "So if little else it would certainly demoralize them… but-"

Ruler didn't get a chance to speak before the number one Esper had shot forward, knocking everyone aside and racing up the steps, charging right for Caster.

"So the first one who wishes to feel the sting of my magic presents himself… how brave." Caster mocked. Magic circles appeared all around the wise queen as large but fast chains suddenly shot out down the steps from her. They were traveling as fast as gunfire, and to top it off they were each coated in a fatal poison; if they broke the skin death would be absolutely certain.

Much to Caster's dismay however, each once bounced of Accelerator's body harmlessly.

"You're going to have to do better than that you scum-fucking bitch!" Accelerator shot into the air and slammed down in-between Caster and Yukiko as the two separated to avoid the attack.

"Stay away from my Onee-san!" Yukiko cried out. A large hammer made of ice formed in the air and slammed it down on the white-haired boy, but it shattered completely on contact, leaving Yukiko in a state of shock.

"…Fucking hell. Makin little brats do shit like this? This world of magic really pisses me off." Accelerator commented. It seemed he had little interest in harming the girl despite her attempt at killing him, and refocused his attention back on Caster.

"…Yukiko, listen to me carefully," Caster began. "Whatever happens, do not allow a single person into the throne room. You can leave this monster to your big sister." She spoke and promptly jumped backward off the staircase, unleashing magic on Accelerator that failed to hit due to his reflections, but it seemed to be enough to capture his attention as he chased after the wise queen.

"O-Onee-san! Be careful!" Yukiko called out. She wanted to jump off after her Servant, but Caster had entrusted her with a special job. Something she would have to tend to before she could even think about helping Caster, as several others felt inspired by Accelerator's example and began to charge up the steps as well.

"What's wrong? I thought you had more of a fight in you to match that high and mighty attitude of yours!" Accelerator shouted. Caster discharged spells to dodge each of the number one's attacks, but her own offense failed to even make a dent in the Esper's defenses.

"…To think that someone would appear before me and force me to get serious this soon." Caster remarked. "Now you will face the true power of Queen Semiramis! **Sikera Ušum!"** At that moment, the wise queen unleashed her primary Noble Phantasm in its full glory. A thick green mist erupted outward, quickly forming a large dome around her covering a wide area, but just as quickly as it formed, the mist was suddenly gone. Despite the disappearance, Caster still held onto the look of superiority.

"…That's it huh? Sorry; my old Servant had a way more impressive Noble Phantasm." Accelerator spat.

"Looking into the eyes of death itself, yet you can still put on that bravado… I'll have to drill some proper respect into that thick skull of yours before you die, won't I?" Caster shot back. Accelerator charged ahead as he had so many times before, and the duo resumed their game of cat and mouse.

However, moments began to pass and Accelerator began to slow. He still kept up with the Wise Queen, but over time it was becoming more and more noticeable. Eventually, the number one collapsed on the ground; his body was still twitching but it was as if he no longer had the strength to move.

Caster smiled deviously. The Noble Phantasm's full name was Sikera Ušum: Arrogant King's Alcohol, and its effect was simple: it infused poison not only into her magic spells, but also the very air around her. The green mist had vanished, but this was simply a visual effect; it was very much active during her second round with the mighty Accelerator.

One thing was unknown to her however; how exactly did her Noble Phantasm deal with the boy? Did the poisoned air bypass his reflection ability and seal his fate? Or, did his reflection passively send away all the toxic air and simply cut off his oxygen supply, leading to his collapse as a result?

Caster moved with the latter interpretation. It wouldn't be long before the number one passed out due to the lack of air, and that is when she would strike.

However, someone else struck first as Caster felt a fist slam into the side of her face. Her body was sent flying into one of the corridors revealed when the walls lifted, and a single boy stood looking down it.

"I don't know what she was doing, but it was definitely lacking guts." Sogiita commented. He then knelt down to Accelerator and turned him over. He smacked Accelerator across the face a few times, as if trying to wake him up, but the number one only reacted by silently mouthing out "Can't… breath…"

"…Oh, ok. You forgot how breathing works and now you're suffocating. Don't worry; stay strong and unleash your guts to survive!" Sogiita lifted up the number one and hurled him up into the air towards the large group. "Hey! Someone catch him and remind him how to breathe, ok!?"

Beetle 5 took to the air while still in the image of Kakine, catching Accelerator.

"…This is more than a little ironic, don't you think?" Beetle 5 asked.

"…Fuck… you…" Accelerator groaned out, air filling his lungs once more.

"Whew… was kind of worried no one heard me… it would have been an excellent test of my guts if I had to throw and catch him though." Sogiita spoke, nodded several times near the end of his sentence.

"You dare… lay your hands on me!?" Caster spat as she walked back out into the open.

"Well, you were kind-of pounding on that guy; what'd you expect me to do? Stand there and let him die? That is a decision entirely devoid of guts." Sogiita replied. Caster's response was to form chains and fire them off once more, and this time the attack was successful, sending the seventh ranked level 5 flying back.

However, despite the wounds, Sogiita Gunha shot straight back up again.

Unlike when she was fighting Accelerator, this fight was completely one-sided; Sogiita couldn't even get close without being struck down.

However, each time Caster knocked him down, the Attack Crash got right back up. No matter how many times the wise queen struck him, he would rise up to oppose her once more.

"Amazing Punch!" Sogiita threw his fist through the air. Caster immediately threw up a barrier as he did so, blocking an invisible impact that caused an explosion shortly afterward. The attack was powerful, but the magic shield rendered her unharmed. "Whoa… not many people can tank that… not bad!"

"…Who the hell are you?" Caster was furious. Not only was her opponent able to take every spell she had, but she never dispelled her Noble Phantasm; each attack and even the air around her should have been toxic.

If the boy hadn't succumbed to his wounds, then he should have at least died to the poison.

Yet, neither happened.

"Oh? I suppose I never introduced myself! Sogiita Gunha!" He crossed his arms and grinned wide.

"How are you resisting my poison…!?" Caster spat. "Even the mightiest of men should have fallen, and at your level of exposure, even Servants would have died! How can you still be able to stand up and oppose me!?"

"…Now that you mention it, I have been feeling a tingling sensation all over, it's really been messing with me; feels like I'm wearing a car on my back." Sogiita admitted. "…But that only adds to the challenge! This is entirely new test for my guts!" The Attack Crash charged straight ahead with a chambered fist.

It was crazy for Caster to imagine; had the boy before her been enduring her Noble Phantasm for so long with pure will-power? It should have been impossible; he would have reached a lethal dose long ago.

Yet here he was, running straight toward her. He ignored all of his injuries and even the venom in his system and raced ahead, eager to fight once more.

To say Caster was stunned was an understatement. First she fought a boy who could deflect all of her attacks but fell to her Nobel Phantasm, and next she fought another who she could always defeat, but would always rise back up twice as fast as he went down.

What had changed in this world since her time to allow beasts like this to exist? And did the side of magic have men and women just as dangerous? Caster gritted her teeth as she prepared her next array of spells, determined not to fall behind in this new world of monsters.

And lucky for her, she was far from alone.

A few seeds landed near Sogiita's feet and suddenly giant plants of an unknown breed rapidly grew, shooting straight up into the air and ejecting Sogiita from the battle. The Attack Crash landed far away, and was quick to try and rejoin the battle, but he had landed in a large cluster of the opposing forces and was cut off.

"…I hope you're not expecting a thank you." Caster commented, finally dispelling her Noble Phantasm.

"I wouldn't ask for one; is it not second nature to lend a helping hand to your allies?" The Sage replied.

"…Indeed, the words you speak are true…" Caster admitted. "…Those two were monsters… tell me; how long has this world had beasts such as that?"

"It has been some time… but don't worry; it will matter little soon." Sage replied. "Ozymandias' trump card is almost ready."

As the battles all across the room continued fiercely, Artoria bounced around the battlefield with great speed, taking advantage of her magic resistance to punish the more powerful long-range magi for being unable to deal with her. She would frequently charge them down and eliminate them, then return to her allies and offer aid.

However, a loud shout from behind interrupted her rhythm as she was forced to defend herself.

"FATHER!" Mordred charged through the crowds from behind, still in her armor and smashed her blade into Artoria's own. The clash sent a shockwave all around, making it nearly impossible for most to at least not notice it.

"Even now… you stand in my way Mordred…!?" Artoria shouted.

"Until the very end!" Mordred grinned wide as the two exchanged blows once more. Steel grinded against steel once more, as it was the third time these two had crossed blades in this war. Mordred's wild swordsmanship violently slammed against Artoria's own, it appearing still that neither side was able to sway the other.

However, just like in the other clashes, Mordred was far from satisfied.

"Why… why!?" Mordred smashed her blade into Artoria's over and over again. "Why… why are you still holding back!? Don't you get it!? I don't know what he means to you, but he's mine! As long as he's aboard this flying fortress, his life is in constant danger! If you want to save him, you're going to have to come at me with everything you have, understand!?"

Their blades met once more, and the shockwave sent Artoria flying back, although she remained standing and her stance strong.

"…Mordred," Artoria began. "Don't do this."

"…What's wrong with you?" Mordred asked. "Before… you came at me with everything you had… our battle was a grand spectacle… we lasted out the entire battle you and I; neither of us fell until we were the only ones left fighting… and now you're letting me toss you around like this… what has happened to you?"

Despite the implication, a strange form of concern resonated in Mordred's voice.

"…Mordred, listen to me; even if you ignored my words before and will continue to do so after, please listen to what I am about to say." Artoria spoke. "Before, I fought as a king to protect my people… my country… our country. Even if I despised the situation, I had no choice… you weren't ready to rule; if you were I would have handed this very blade over to you in an instant."

Artoria dispelled invisible air, revealing Excalibur in its full glory.

"I couldn't let our country fall into the hands of someone unable to perform the duties of a king… we were already failing as it was…"

"…Then why!? Why did you fight!? Why wasn't I worthy of being your successor!? I am your son, daughter, or whatever the hell kind of child I was meant to be… even if I was created to spite you; to end you… why wasn't I worthy…?" Mordred replied.

"There is nothing I can say." Artoria stated. "…You were wild… uncontrollable. You were so unlike everyone else I couldn't believe it… yet at your core, you still held the same values the rest did, the devotion to our home, even if your goal was the throne. Mordred, I don't have an answer for you… and even if I did, I doubt it would be enough to satisfy you."

"…I'll prove it to you then, right here and right now!" Mordred shouted. "I'll prove that I'm worthy, and put those fears of yours at ease. I'll set the record straight so you can rest in peace." She tightened the grip on her blade.

"Before, I had to face you. You are right, I was worried about our country… its fate… and at the heart of it all, I was scared. But now… I face you not as the king of a nation, but simply as Artoria Pendragon." Excalibur vanished from her hands and she held her arms at her sides. "Mordred, I have no desire to fight you, nor to kill you. If my head is what you are after, it is yours to take."

"W-what…?" Mordred stood frozen in place. "What… are you doing… draw your sword, Father!"

"I will not." Artoria replied. She didn't say anything more and simply gazed back at the knight across from her.

Mordred's blade trembled, and she didn't know if it was from anger, or fear.

All she wanted to do was prove herself to Artoria; to be acknowledged and praised.

In truth, she had little interest in actually ending Artoria's life.

Words resounded in the back of her head once more.

" _You were the reason she died before… but now… all you have to do is be the reason she lives."_

"Damn… it… all…!" Mordred cursed. "DAMN IT ALLLLLLLLL!" Mordred ran forward, her blade grinding against the ground and sparking with red electricity. She let out a loud battle cry as she ran.

Artoria however, did not move.

Mordred wasn't thinking any more, it was like her body was on autopilot. She ran with the intent of unleashing everything.

But in her heart, she prayed for someone to stop her.

"…This has gone on far enough." A male voice sounded. "The day that a child has to murder their parent is a day Ra weeps… so I will end this tragedy."

A beam of light erupted from a group of people and raced straight toward Artoria.

They both saw it; it was large enough to engulf the King of Knights completely. Artoria drew her sword once more to face it, but found her vison blocked.

As Mordred made use of her mana burst to dash straight into the beam, stopping it from ever being a threat to Artoria's life.

"Mordred!" The King of Knights shouted as the blast hit. Mordred screamed as her armor was blasted apart. The light faded and she was sent back into Artoria's arms. The armor appeared to have taken most of the blast, but Mordred's body was limp as she held it.

"…Ah! That's the proper ending! I see that my action was actually part of the play! I must say… sometimes I can surprise even myself…" The voice called out again.

"M-Mordred…!" Artoria called out, but she didn't respond. Slowly, the King of Knight's eyes drifted up to see who had done this terrible deed.

Her eyes met those of the Rider, Ramesses the second.

"She was defiant to the end… at least this time she was able to betray her own fate. That in itself is special…" Rider spoke.

"You…! YOU!" Artoria shouted with anger. "Do you realize what you've done!?"

"Prevented patricide, but since my target was actually you, I figured you'd be happier… not many kings can say they were able to avoid such a fate when their own child took-up arms against them" Rider spoke.

Invisible Air once more dispelled, revealing Excalibur shining bright. One arm held the blade as it gathered energy and the other held up Mordred's body. Even if she couldn't unleash all of Excalibur's power with just one hand, she could at least muster enough energy to deal a devastating blow to Rider.

"…So you would like to compare Noble Phantasms?" Rider asked. "You'll get your chance in due time; my preparations are complete."

"Preparations!? What are… you…?" Artoria began to look around and noticed the abnormality.

Before it was an overcast night, but now it was a sunny day without a single cloud in the sky. The air felt hot, though it caused Artoria little harm. But most of all:

A large pyramid was looping overhead to the north. For such a thing to happen, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon must have been partially buried due to its size.

"It will delay our approach of London, but I think the results will make up for that." Rider commented.

"What… is this…!?" Artoria shouted.

"Welcome to my Noble Phantasm: **Ramesseum Tentyris!"** Rider announced. "It felt like such a waste to simply move the combatants to a new area after Caster went to so much trouble… so I decided to take in all of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon!"

"A Reality Marble…!?" Artoria shouted.

"Yes! But not just any Reality Marble, but one belonging to Ozymandias! Welcome to Egypt!" Rider announced. Artoria set Mordred down as gently as she could before aiming her blade back at king of kings once more.

"What is the meaning of this…!?" Artoria shouted. Rider simply smirked.

"Behold the greatest temple!" Rider shouted as a bright light began to shine at the tip of the temple. "Witness it and bow; all of your struggles are now over! For now, I shall unleash the most powerful attack located in the greatest temple; the **Dendera Electric Bulb**! Concede to its power as it can easily destroy all of Tokyo in a single blast! No simple Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm can stand up to it!"

"Are you crazy…!?" Ruler joined the conversation after a conflict of her own, racing to the site. "That will incinerate everyone, even your own men! You'll even wipe this fortress of the face of the earth!"

"Preparations have already been made for the Hanging Gardens, rest assured that it will survive. As for everyone else… I am proud to announce that they all graciously offered their lives for this plan to work. Do you not see? This was your fate from the very beginning! They offer their lives for the new world we shall create to replace the rotted old!" Rider shouted loudly.

"Do you honestly believe that? Are those words truly yours!?" Ruler pressed further.

"It is my master's dream, so I will carry it as my own… we shall bring a new era of prosperity to the human race!" Rider replied. "Now; enough posturing! Dendera Electric Bulb… FIRE!" A massive beam erupted from the tip of the pyramid.

Several explosions triggered from behind the two opposing Rider, immediately followed by footsteps as the energy raced toward the courtyard, and someone with spikey-black hair ran past both Ruler and Artoria.

"Y-you!? At a time like this!?" Rider shouted.

The beam hit, but it crashed against another power that held it at bay.

Imagine Breaker.

"T-Touma! What are you doing here!?" Artoria shouted.

"I-it's a long story that involves a lot of shit that happened, and now's not the time!" Touma shouted, struggling to keep the blast of energy at bay.

"…How magnificent. The star of the show arrives to witness the demise of the old world. How unfortunate… this attack isn't one you can suppress you insolent whelp!" Rider announced. True to his word, the Dendera Electric Bulb was not vanishing; it was the exact kind of attack that directly countered Imagine Breaker.

It could regenerate faster than his right arm could negate.

"D-damn it all…!" Touma cursed, sliding back.

"Increase output by twenty percent; rip that arm right out of its socket!" Rider ordered. The blast intensified as Touma sled back more, blood from his hand surging forth from the pressure.

"I-I can't!" Touma shouted as he almost lost balance, but someone managed to catch him.

"I have you! Don't worry!" Artoria shouted as he held the boy's torso, pushing forward.

"You have our support, keep fighting!" Ruler added, also helping Touma stay upright.

Suddenly, the two felt a strange pressure from behind followed by another body slamming into them, both pushing them forward against the blast.

"L-Lazarus Wolfchild!?" Artoria shouted in shock as she glanced at the cabal boss helping.

"Now's not the time; save it for later!" Victoria was next to join in, water flowing from her trident and latching onto Touma's arm to help keep it steady with the pressure.

"Who needs a power boost, yeah!?" Dand was the last to join the group as an odd feeling coursed through all those in the group, a red aura beginning to envelop them. "The blessing of Ares feels good, yeah!? Use that extra strength to keep him steady!"

"Insolent dogs… you think that's all you need to withstand it!? I commend you for holding out this long, but now this ends! Increase output by forty-percent!" Rider shouted, and the beam increased in strength once more.

"I can't… hold much longer…!" Touma shouted.

"If you need to hold the line, all you needed to do was to call out the name Leonidas!" Lancer materialized and dashed passed the group, slamming his shield into the rampaging energy. "If my master trusts you, then I will lend you my shield… no, even better!" Lancer grinned.

"What are you-"

"I will do more than lend you my shield! Every son of Sparta will rise up in your name! **Thermopylae Enomotia!"** Lancer shouted loud. Suddenly figures resembling Spartan soldiers, just like Lancer, began to materialize all around, each one running to smash their own shield's against the beam of light.

It wasn't long before there were three-hundred Spartans standing with their shield's aimed towards the light, intent on lasting out until the very end, for a defense against an impossible enemy is what defined Lancer's Noble Phantasm.

"You waste your time…! Enough games; I no longer care if it damages the fortress! Maximum output!" Rider shouted. The beam widened and intensified, but Rider suddenly had a premonition of danger.

Blades flew from nowhere aimed at him He jumped into the sky to dodge them all, focusing on the one who had fired them.

Emiya Shirou stood with a bow and a single spiral arrow, ready to fire.

" **Caladbolg!"** Shirou shouted as he unleashed the arrow. Rider managed to dodge with quick placement of his ship pieces.

"You think that me being in the air made me vulnerable!?" The King of Kings boasted.

"You were never the target you bastard!" Shirou shouted. Rider's eyes widened as he looked back to see the spiral arrow collide and violently explode with the great temple.

The reaction was immediate; the energy from the structure went out of control and shot into the sky as the pyramid self-destructed.

The explosion was so powerful it forcefully ended Rider's Reality Marble, returning the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the skies above the British Isles.

Touma stood surrounded by Spartan soldiers. He looked back at Artoria, who simply nodded. With that, the Imagine Breaker walked forward.

"…You really kicked the crap out of me before, you know?" Touma stated. "…Now how would you like a round two?"

Rider was furious; so much so that his own hair spiked up as he drew his staff from his belt.

" **Sphinx of Abu el-Hol!"** Rider called out another Noble Phantasm as a large creature formed behind him. It was on four legs and had golden wings and wore a pharaoh's crown, but its body appeared to be made of the stars themselves as it raced forward. Touma ran ahead, moving under the Sphinx as the Spartan soldiers engaged the large creature, keeping its attention away from the unlucky Kamijou.

A wave of light slammed into Touma, but he kept running until he got in close. Rider brought his staff down on the Imagine Breaker but he dodged to the side, coming back with a powerful punch to Rider's face with his right hand. This only seemed to make the rage in Ozymandias' heart burn brighter as he threw his own fist back, smashing it into Touma.

The two battled for a time, and although the unlucky Kamijou was doing much better, Rider's power was too much of an obstacle to overcome. He could materialize pieces of his ship to blast Touma with light anywhere, and Touma had little he could do about it other than enduring the barrage as he traded blows with the King of Kings.

Rider slammed his knee into Touma's stomach, and grabbed his throat with both hands, intending to choke him out. The spikey-haired boy's hand flew up to grab ahold, but he could do little to actually dislodge Rider's iron grip.

"I have had enough of you, he who purifies god and exorcises the devil…!" Rider spat. He paused for a moment when he saw something he hadn't before; Touma's command seal.

He looked up to see Artoria helping the spartans deal with the Sphinx. Some of the spartans appeared to be keeping Mordred's body out of harm's way as they fought. and smirked.

"How fitting… the master dies attempting to save his Servant… it is true that if you had managed to defeat me that he would vanish… but it's too late for that, now isn't it…!?"

"…You're… not the first… to get that wrong… Artoria… isn't my Servant…!" Touma grunted out.

"Then who; tell me so I can string your corpse up in front of them as an example to those who incur my wrath…!" Rider demanded.

"You… asked for it…!" Touma replied. "My Servant… is the… King of Heroes…!"

It happened instantly.

An endless stream of weapons rained down from the sky, striking all over the courtyard. However, not one member of the invading party was hit; only those who sided with Caster and Rider where struck, as if someone was targeting them specifically.

Not every attack hit their mark, but over seventy percent of their numbers had been struck by the onslaught.

Several flew toward and hit the area around Rider, causing him to drop the unlucky Kamijou due to the shock. Rider immediately tried to attack Touma with a beam of light, but a long chain suddenly wrapped around the boy's waist and pulled him to safety. A heavy cloud of dust and smoke covered most of the battlefield now. Touma coughed for a moment or two before he managed to stand up.

"…You're late, you know that?" Touma spat.

A second male voice sounded from behind the unlucky Kamijou.

"Hmph! It is implied that my timing is perfect just with the simple fact that I arrived at all, and you would do well to remember that, boy." The male said.

Golden lights appeared behind Touma as the dust cloud settled, revealing a man in bright golden armor with arms crossed. He had blond spikey hair and a set of slit red eyes.

Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes himself, had finally entered the fray.

* * *

 **And so he has finally arrived! and in such a way only befitting of the title "King of Heroes!" And now the turn-around in the conflict begins!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Please review at your leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day everyone!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	25. Counterattack

**As much as I'd like to greet you all, I'm sure you are all very eager to see what happens next... so lets get to it!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

A battle that had seemed impossible to win had suddenly become completely one sided.

The magi who sided with the people attempting to usurp control of the Solution to Nothingness had suffered heavy losses. Many had suddenly died while many more had been injured by the rainfall of swords, and the Kamijou Faction was quick to capitalize on it.

The Rider stood with a look of shock.

For across from him stood the legendary King of Heroes himself; mankind's first king, Gilgamesh.

"…Level with me; how long have you been waiting to make a dynamic entrance like that?" Touma asked.

"So you were on to me?" Gilgamesh laughed. "Fine; I will admit I have been watching events unfold for quite some time. I was more than a little surprised when I saw how many people decided to come to the aid of a single boy, so I just had to witness their determination."

"…So this is your Servant then… I am not sure if I should call you incredibly lucky or unforgivably cursed." Rider commented. "I see… so that is why you never called for his assistance… someone of such an ill temper would react badly to being called with a command seal."

"Ho…? You held on for this long without me because you did not wish to anger me?" Gilgamesh asked, turning his head to face Touma. "How wise… you were able to predict my actions in the case of you calling for me. Color me impressed."

"Just because a lot of bad things happen to me doesn't mean I go and seek them out. I'm not some kind masochist with a death wish, you know." Touma replied.

"Oh…? You do not succumb to the pressure of the King of Heroes… I see… so the impossible has happened and the golden king has found someone he is truly compatible with." Rider commented.

"I don't know about compatible… we just understand each other, that's all." Touma replied.

"Is that so…?" Rider mused. He snapped his fingers and his sphinx flew back over to him, disengaging from the battle it was in. The beast landed behind the King of Kings with a loud thud, looking ready to attack.

"Touma… are you alright?" Artoria asked now that she was freed from battle.

"I'll be fine… how about you? How's Mordred?" Touma asked. He was not around for the two's exchange, but he was able to clearly see the fallen knight.

"…I don't know. She hasn't faded away but she also hasn't responded to anything I've been able to do to try and rouse her." Artoria replied.

"I see…" Touma replied.

"It is likely that the old man over there is the master of the King of Kings." Gilgamesh stated, glancing over at the Sage of the Wildwood. "The little girl guarding the staircase belongs to the Caster… and the last master has not revealed himself yet."

"…Ah, alright. Sounds good." Touma replied. "If I had to guess, the old man is probably one of the master minds… I wouldn't mind pounding on this Rider here, but I feel like there is someone far better suited for that around here."

"Of course; there is no greater Heroic Spirit than I." Gilgamesh smirked.

"You sure you can handle it? He has an interesting pet, you know." Touma replied.

"The fact you even have to ask is an insult, boy." Gilgamesh stated. "…But I shall forgive you this time. Act as you always have; as long as you continue to fight for that which you desire, you can consider me on your side. Go, and do not disappoint me."

"Touma, what are you going to do?" Artoria asked.

"I'm going to end this by giving that old man a piece of my mind." Touma announced. At that moment he charged, running straight for the Sage. Rider tried to stop him with beams of light, but found each attack intercepted by weaponry fired from Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon.

"It is as he said… your opponent this day is me, King of Kings." Gilgamesh reached behind him as the handle of a single sword presented itself from his treasury. He griped and drew the blade with speed, showing that he was rather eager to clash with Ozymandias.

A fair distance away, the Sage and the wise queen watched events unfold.

"…I suppose it goes without saying that your plan did not account for a turn like this." Caster commented.

"…Indeed..." The Sage replied. "To think that the Imagine Breaker could even get his hands on a Servant… and he even managed to claim the King of Heroes no less… this is a catastrophic event…"

"I'm open to ideas… though it is safe to say that direct confrontation between those two kings is out of the question… and remember that the Imagine Breaker is running straight toward us…" Caster commented.

"…I will hold him off for as long as I can." Sage replied. "Our one advantage is that if they want control of this fortress then they have to take the throne room, correct?"

"Of course. It is impossible to do so otherwise." Caster replied.

"…Then make it into a trap they have to walk into." Sage replied. "Your Noble Phantasm turned the air toxic… my suggestion would be to make use of it as they come in to try and take control of the room."

"Is it safe to assume we don't have an exit strategy?" The wise queen asked.

"…Use whatever you can think of. I had many alternative plans to deal with various situations… but the arrival of such a powerful Servant and his act of destroying most of our forces is far beyond them. The most I can do is act as a deterrent against the inevitable tide." Sage replied.

"Indeed… to think the King of Heroes would arrive here…" Caster replied.

"It's in your hands… do what you will, wise queen." Sage replied as he began to move, making way over to the spikey-haired teen that was charging him. Caster simply watched the man as he left to fight before taking to the air, landing at the top of the stairs. Yukiko turned to face the wise queen, and with one nod, a large wall of ice shot up to completely block stairway as the two moved into the throne room.

At one of the entrances, Albert stood, watching the battle closely. He was a silent witness to the onslaught of weaponry that crushed most of the forces on his side, and spent this time thinking of a possible strategy.

"Boss… should we head out? You said we should hold off just in case something bad happened… and this qualifies right? We might be able to turn the tide with you at our side…!" A magician, one of about twenty, spoke up from behind the well-dressed magician.

"…No; this battle is lost. Not only were our forces obliterated, but Lazarus Wolfchild is active in this conflict. Unfortunate as it is… I cannot defeat him alone… and to add insult to injury, four Saints are fighting as well, and my Servant has fallen… even I cannot break these odds." Albert spoke openly.

"Then… what do we do?" Another magician asked. Albert paused for a moment, thinking. One of his hands was balled up into a fist as he processed his thoughts.

"…A last resort." Albert replied. "I studied the layout of this facility, so I know a big weak point… we won't be able to take London but we can at least destroy these forces who decided to attack us to send a message across."

"We are at your command, sir. Tell us; what is your plan?" A third magus spoke up. Albert began to walk away from the battlefield.

"…Let us send this accursed fortress hurling into the ground, and take those who oppose us with it." He stated as he walked past his followers. They all looked and nodded at each other before following the well-dressed magician.

Elsewhere, a battle of kings was continuing to unfold.

"Yes, yes! This is a new experience I must admit! Not everyone can match my Gate of Babylon like this!" Gilgamesh laughed as he spoke. Weapons fired rapidly from the rifts behind the king of heroes as golden lights appeared to match them. "You're not like a certain someone who can only match me with a Reality Marble… you can actually face me when I'm being serious normally, can't you!?"

"…Heh… it is good to see that your reputation is no lie… it would make this conflict a waste of time…!" Ozymandias shot back. "Sphinx of Abu el-Hol! Destroy him!" The large sphinx leapt over its master and charged ahead, swinging its massive claw at the King of Heroes.

The beast was stopped dead in its tracks as golden chains shot out from all directions and bound it in place, just as its claw would reach its mark.

"A powerful creature indeed, a worthy Servant of the King of Kings… similar to the Bull of Heaven that once terrorized my kingdom of Uruk…" Gilgamesh smiled. Rifts formed all around the beast and fired weaponry from all ages into its cosmic body. It roared out in pain and struggled against its binds, but it wasn't long before the sphinx grew limp. It faded away at that point, and the chains receded into the Gate of Babylon from whence they came.

The King of Kings appeard furious, but the King of Heroes had an unmistakable grin on his face.

"Unfortunately… it carried your divinity skill, otherwise it could have proven to be some kind of threat." Gilgamesh mocked, his position of superiority quite clear.

"You insolent…!" Ozymandias gritted his teeth.

"Insolent? You clearly do not understand the gravity of who you're dealing with!" Gilgamesh spat. More blades of all shapes and sizes began to fire from the Gate of Babylon at the King of Kings, who was quick to deal with each one with his beams of light. "Is that all? I was amused at first, but if all you can do is withstand my treasury, your fate is sealed you mongrel!"

"Mongrel? You dare call me a mongrel!?" Ozymandias spat. Suddenly his body was enveloped in a bright red glow that quickly began to dissipate, but a second followed it.

It was obvious to someone familiar; The King of Kings' master must have used two command seals. Doing such would definitely help refill Ozymandias' mana reserves, but Gilgamesh found himself curious.

"Tell me, what did your master order of you? Is he so frightened by his foes that he demands you return to his side…?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"No… quite the contrary actually…" Ozymandias grinned. "His demands were simple; use every ounce of my power to crush the King of Heroes!"

Gilgamesh smirked as the King of Kings' body began to glow.

"My gods reside with me, and they will make you bow your head in shame! Anat and Set dwell in my arms, Astarte lives in the heavens to bless me, and Horus and Ra form my body and soul! My beloved Nefertari awaits me after my conquest is complete, and as long as she longs for me once more as my Hathor, I will not fall!" Ozymandias ended his chant as a bright golden light surged forth around him

The wooden ship that was his Noble Phantasm, **Mesektet: The Solar Ship of the Dark Night,** formed around the King of Kings and shot into the sky. It shined a bright, brilliant light before unleashing a seemingly endless stream of blasts down below, carpet bombing the area.

Magi of all creeds did their best to defend against the assault, but they needed to do little to survive.

Because each blast was aimed right at the King of Heroes. Smoke from the numerous explosions blanketed the area, making it impossible to identify if anything remained underneath.

The answer to that question was given when Gilgamesh rose from the smoke, shooting into the air aboard his own airship, **Vimana: Throne of the Heaven-Soaring King.**

"Surely you did not think such a paltry attack would be enough to end me, right!?" Gilgamesh grinned wide as he sat on the throne placed on his ship.

"If it did I would have been disappointed beyond rational thought. Unleash everything you have, O' great King of Heroes!" Ozymandias replied with a grin of his own as the two began to do battle in the air.

The entirety of the sky above the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was their battlefield. Gilgamesh gave chase unleashing his treasury without a second thought while Ozymandias' Mesektet retaliated in kind, firing numerous beams of light to intercept the endless projectiles.

The problem was that each individual portion of Mesektet could unleash blasts of light without exception; a true warship without compare.

But Gilgamesh didn't care; he relished in the challenge. For once in a very long time someone appeared before him actually capable of challenging his power properly, and he couldn't hide his excitement if he tried.

The King of Kings lived up to his name without a single doubt.

Ozymandias and his ship suddenly stopped in the air and appeared to flip over to reveal the underside of the craft to the King of Heroes. Gilgamesh gritted his teeth and diverted to the side, narrowly avoiding a surprise attack as Mesektet unleashed a barrage of blasts from its underbelly. The chase resumed but the roles were reversed; the forced change in path left the King of Heroes open as Ozymandias was quick to take advantage and give pursuit.

Explosions filled the sky as the two battled each other. Though Gilgamesh was now the one being pursued rather than Ozymandias, the situation was the same; countless projectiles fired indiscriminately at one another as the duo clashed for superiority.

Gilgamesh and his Vimana suddenly shot straight up into the sky, and Ozymandias and his Mesektet followed. Golden rifts began to appear all around the Mesektet and its travel path as an onslaught of golden chains shot out, each one either trying to strike the ship directly or simply restrict its movement, all the while weaponry still continued to fire from the Gate of Babylon from above.

"Enough of these games… full range bombardment!" Ozymandias shouted. Mesektet began to glow and shortly after it fired its beams of light in all directions, eliminating any and all chances of attack from all sides. Inadvertently, this also meant directly upward, striking the Vimana and causing it to explode.

Ozymandias smirked upon seeing his target's destruction as he moved closer. However, this faded when he saw a piece of the debris falling straight toward him.

It was Gilgamesh himself, grinning wide as he fell, and as the two passed each other, the King of Heroes stuck out his arm, slamming it into Ozymandias chest and forcing him out of Mesektet and the two began to fall. The ship dissolved away without its master, leaving the two alone as they descended back onto the Hanging Gardens.

"To think I would have to strike you personally… truly, you are a worthy opponent." Gilgamesh stated. "Unfortunately, you will meet the same fate as all others who had decided to face me. Take this honest praise from me as you return back to the grave; you are strong!"

"I am only as powerful as the strength the gods decided to bestow upon me." Ozymandias replied. "However, our clash is far from finished…!"

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes, but widened them again as he suddenly noticed a drastic change in location. They were still both falling through the sky, but it had turned into day from night once more, and the location below was a desert with many pyramids all around.

"So you had enough left to call upon it again…!" Gilgamesh spat. Suddenly Ozymandias pulled out his staff and struck Gilgamesh across the face with it, forcing the two to separate as Mesektet formed below the King of Kings and carried him to safety. Gilgamesh struck the ground, but was quick to force himself up once more.

"I hope that I needn't repeat myself about my Noble Phantasm, since you had a front-row seat before, as you said." Ozymandias called out form his ship as it hovered near the largest pyramid. "Unlike before, there is no one here but you and me, and no reason to hold back!" As he spoke, the great temple began to emit a powerful light once more, charging an attack so powerful that it could completely annihilate a large city in a single attack.

Gilgamesh couldn't help but smile.

"It has been so long since I had a fight I truly enjoyed… I have slain so many but only so few were actually worth my time… very well! I will use my most powerful Noble Phantasm, just for you!" Gilgamesh shouted as he reached into a gate leading to his treasury. A bright red glow filled the area for a moment as he drew his most prized possession.

Ea, the Sword of Rupture, entered the world once more.

No more words needed to be spent as the cylindrical blade began to spin, power gathering as a bright red light began to envelop it.

The great temple shined with a bright golden light as its energy reached its peak.

The two made their move.

" **Dendera Electric Bulb!"** Ozymandias shouted, a massive golden beam of light firing down.

" **Enuma Elish!"** Gilgamesh thrust Ea forward, unleashing a massive wave of red energy straight toward the great temple's tip. The two beams stuck each other with a mighty roar, sending out a shockwave that shook the earth below; each attack trying to overpower the other.

The effects of Enuma Elish were quick to notice as the Reality Marble began to break apart.

But the great temple stood strong, continuing its assault.

The struggle continued as the world continued to break apart. The sky began to fade to black, and the earth seemed to crumble and fall away to nothingness.

"You have fought well, King of Kings!" Gilgamesh announced. "But this is the end!" The red beam intensified as it slowly gained ground.

The glimpse of a bright red light overpowering a bright golden one could be seen as the world was destroyed.

 **-Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Unknown Location-**

"So… that is the true power… of the King of Heroes… huh?" Ozymandias stated. He appeared to be exhausted as well as injured; at some point the attack must have at least partly struck him.

The two stood in an open courtyard, far from the throne room. No one else was around aside from the two.

"I have my own goals and desires… things I wish to see bear fruit… the plan your master has crafted goes against that. If you must curse anyone, then curse your master for choosing the wrong opponent." Gilgamesh replied.

"Heh… heh…! Haaaaahhhh!" Ozymandias drew his staff once more and charged at the King of Heroes. Gilgamesh deflected the strike with Ea, and quickly ran the King of Kings through with it. The two stood silently for a moment.

"You have fought valiantly… even until the end. I would expect nothing less." Gilgamesh stated. "Tell me, you fight for your master even against me… are his promises really that enticing?"

"…I act in the best interest of man." Ozymandias replied. "It was extreme… but the Sage's plan was sound… he would reform the world from its twisted state and make something better… better people, better society… everything. I saw the state of man and agreed with his evaluation… that's all there is to it…"

"Is that all?" Gilgamesh asked.

"I did what I did for the sake of the people of this world… for who is a king if he cannot care for his subjects?" Ozymandias asked. Gilgamesh pulled Ea out of Ozymandias' stomach and the King of Kings fell on his back.

"…The words you speak are true. Return to your Nefertari, King of Kings. Return to her and speak with pride about the honest praise you earned from mankind's first king, for you have truly earned your title this day." Gilgamesh stated. It wasn't long before Ozymandias' body faded away completely, leaving the King of Heroes alone.

He paused for a moment before swinging Ea, forcefully removing the blood on the blade, and promptly returned it to his treasury.

"I suppose I cannot judge too harshly; I had a similar plan in mind not too long ago." He spoke. He began to walk away and faded into spirit form, but not before he spoke a single phrase.

"The only thing that has changed my mind is the prospect of a much more interesting possibility."

 **-Throne Room Courtyard-**

At the same time as the clash of kings, another battle was unfolding.

"Ok, seriously, how the hell are you making plants pop up out of a stone floor!?" Touma shouted. The reply he received was a fully formed tree suddenly being thrown down to try and strike the unlucky Kamijou. He held up his right hand and negated the plant's existence, turning it once more back into a simple seed.

"My magic not only accelerates growth, but provides the nutrients for life as flora require. As long as I continue to exist, I can rejuvenate them at my leisure." The Sage of the Wildwood replied. The seed that had just returned to normal suddenly exploded with growth, turning once more into a fully grown tree.

Along with the many others all around the Sage. Not long prior, he used two of his command seals on his Rider-Class Servant, which made Touma worry, but he felt relieved when he saw the two take their fight up to the sky.

At least he wouldn't have to deal with two opponents at once. Though the one he was fighting was proving to be more than a little annoying.

"Come on! There's got to be a limit to this crap!" Touma shouted as he negated another tree.

"You will never see it. Fall before the will of nature!" Sage shouted as roots suddenly shout up out of the stone floor.

In a single instant, each one was slashed away.

"Sorry that the back-up is late. He had a bit of a situation when someone tried a transformation spell to become some kind of monster." Shirou spoke from Touma's right side.

"Rin is helping end the battle against these people quickly, but allow us to give you aid, Touma." Artoria spoke from his left.

"…Alright. I just need one clean shot at him, let's go!" Touma shouted and the trio ran. Numerous vines and moving to engage them as they moved. The Sage began to spawn more, which led to more intricate attacks that were harder to avoid.

One involved numerous attacks from roots while a large tree began to fall down on top of them; a pincer attack.

That plan was shattered when a loud gunshot rang out and the tree was blasted in half.

A fair distance away, Hamazura was laying on his belly, taking aim and firing with his secret weapon: The Metal Eater anti-tank rifle. As it was designed to punch through solid steel with ease, so destroying wood was even easier.

But what wasn't easy was dealing with the massive recoil.

"Come on… come on!" Hamazura gritted his teeth as he fired. He did his best to keep any attack the trio couldn't deal with at bay, but his shoulder was killing him. "Fuck… fuck… FUCK!" He cursed louder with each shot.

It felt like the gun was slowly breaking his shoulder.

"Can't… let that fucker get away with this…!" Hamazura grunted as he pulled the trigger. The shot fired, ripping yet another tree in half with a powerful shot, but this time he couldn't feel the recoil.

He pulled back from the scope for a moment to see the Ruler Jeanne D'Arc holding his rifle in place. She had one hand holding the stock and the other down the rifle to help keep it steady.

"I am not familiar with weaponry of this age, but it seemed like this has a lot of recoil whenever you use it." Jeanne spoke. "I think I would be a little bit better at absorbing the shock, wouldn't you think?"

"…Jeanne, if I didn't have a girlfriend, I'd say some really stupid stuff right now." Hamazura replied with a smile. Jeanne simply smiled back as Hamazura went back to opening fire.

"Almost…!" Touma grunted as the trio ran. They were making significant progress, but were still a fair distance away from the Sage.

"Nature has answered my call, and as such has granted me authority. As long as these trees aid me, my will cannot be stopped! The world will be saved, mark my words!" Sage cried out. Suddenly, numerous roots shot up from the ground in front of him, sending waves of plant life towards the trio.

"Shirou! Get ready!" Artoria shouted as she revealed Excalibur once more, releasing part of its power to destroy the onslaught being thrown against them.

"Right! Sorry in advance, Kamijou-san!" Shirou grabbed ahold of Touma's collar, and by using reinforcement on Touma's shirt to increase his durability and on himself to increase his strength, he spun and hurled the unlucky Kamijou at the old man.

Touma was more than frightened at first, but chambered his fist when he saw who he was flying towards. The Sage began to forcefully call multiple plants and trees to him to act as a shield, but each one was blasted apart by Hamazura's Metal Eater faster than they could grow.

"Listen closely you old coot! I heard all about your little plan from those goons you sent after me after I escaped… and I said this to Fiamma of the Right and I'll say is again right now!" Touma shouted as he flew. "Don't think of the world as being so weak that it needs to be saved you bastard!"

Touma threw his fist and smashed it into the Sage's face. Imagine Breaker activated and forcefully reverted all the plants that were under the influence of his magic. The Sage flew backward, his back slamming into a wall before sliding down, unconscious.

"…Kamijou-san, are you ok? Sorry about the surprise toss…" Shirou spoke as he approached Touma as he regained his balance and stood.

"Don't worry about it… it worked out…" Touma panted. "Hey, how's all the fighting going?"

"I would say that the enemy forces are eighty-percent contained. A few pockets of resistance remain, but with our numbers, it shouldn't be long before the remaining magi surrender." Artoria replied.

"Alright man, what's next?" Hamazura had the metal eater over his shoulder and was followed closely by Jeanne.

"We should be careful; the Caster is still at large." The saintly-servant spoke. "She is Semiramis, the Wise Queen of Assyria. In addition to magic, she likely has many abilities related to poison, and very well could be setting a trap for us."

"…At this point all we can do is head inside and see what we can do." Touma replied.

"Count me in boss… that master of hers makes ice, but this baby should be able to punch through it, no matter how much she makes." Hamazura stated.

"I think it's safe to say we're all going. This whole thing is almost over; let's see it though." Shirou stated. All those around agreed and made their way to the steps, and quickly began to climb. The wall of ice Yukiko left behind was easily eradicated by Artoria, as the five continued their march into the throne room.

And they had a sight to behold when they finally arrived.

They bore witness to seeing a single man seemingly defeat the wise queen in a contest of magic.

He looked different from before, but he was undoubtedly someone most of them had seen before.

After all, his name was rather short and easy to remember.

Minho.

* * *

 **Dun Dun Duuuuuuun! After a long absence, everyone's favorite curse-master makes a sudden return! What does this mean!?**

 **Only one way to find out, right?**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Please review at your leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day my friends!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	26. Prelude to Destruction

**Welcome one and all... we are now approaching the end of this tale... but we still have a fair bit of time left, so don't worry one bit!**

 **Lets get on with the show! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

As Ozymandias and Sage began to engage their targets, the Caster Semiramis and her master Yukiko had returned to the throne room in order to prepare a last-ditch trap to try and turn the war raging outside in their favor.

But there was someone else inside waiting for them.

"Oho! So you two are the first to find me, congratulations!" A male sat on the throne.

"…Minho?" Yukiko asked.

"And she remembers! Oh it has been awhile, hasn't it?" Minho spoke.

"It doesn't look like she's happy to see you, Master." Euryale the Archer stepped out from behind the throne.

"…Yukiko, dear." Semiramis called sweetly. "Is this man someone you care about?" She asked. Yukiko shook her head.

"So fickle… I never really liked that about you." Minho stated. Semiramis was quick to throw up her hand and fire a spell at the curse master. Minho lifted his arms block it with a barrier.

"You are expendable, my dear. Your purpose was fulfilled the moment you made it possible for me to exist in this world once more." The wise queen spoke confidently. The blast was more than enough to annihilate a simple mage, regardless of what barrier they put up.

However, Minho remained standing, holding the attack back. Eventually, Minho moved his arms and the barrier moved the spell upward, shooting it straight up into the ceiling.

"Man… this is still all new to me, you know?" Minho replied. He moved and popped his neck. "I had to try to repulse that… it's nice to have an actual adequate challenge now."

"…What?" Semiramis blinked. "How did you… how did a mere human acquire the strength to withstand my spells…?"

"By doing one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and running about ten kilometers every day. It also helps if you drink plenty of juice." Minho replied. The wise queen's response was to fling another spell, and yet again the curse master was able to deflect the attack.

"…Something is not right here…" Semiramis spoke.

"Onee-san… those glowing markings…" Yukiko pointed out. "I can feel large amounts of magic power flowing from them… in and out of his body…"

"Tch… little bitch figuring out my secrets." Minho spat.

"What did you do to yourself, truly? Keep trying to be wise and I'll have to do much worse to you…" Semiramis threatened.

"Fine… you have enough to tell something's up, but it really does suck that I couldn't keep this thing going for longer." Minho replied. "What you're seeing could be referred to as a "Life Support System," which is currently keeping me from self-destructing and helping me manage this ass-load of power. It's an original creation I managed to cobble together in just the nick of time… but seeing the results proves its usefulness, doesn't it?"

"Self-destruct, huh…" Semiramis commented.

"That's right! Cause right here; you're staring right at the human form of the lesser grail! And this little support system stops me form well… dying when too many Servants die. You feel me?" Minho answered.

"Revealing your hand so soon? Are you that confident?" Semiramis began to prepare her spells.

"Well, when I kill you… and I will kill you, by the by, I'll have one more Servant rocking it out inside me… and then this fancy fortress will fall out of the sky and I'll get a few more! More than enough to completely fill the grail!" Minho shouted, unleashing a string of curses to combat Semiramis' own magic.

Blasts flew from each other and exploded in the air as the two battled. Despite Minho's boasting, the curse master and Semiramis appeared to be evenly matched. Yukiko tried to form ice to join in the clash, but arrows flew from Euryale to stop the young ice mage from interfering.

"You may have the power, but your curses are easy to predict and counteract… what does a fool like you even want with the grail's power, anyway?" Semiramis questioned as the two's duel continued.

"That's the funny thing; I really haven't figured it out yet! But one thing's for sure; going after the grail means I don't die, so of fucking course I'm going to throw my all into it!" Minho shouted back.

"How sad; is this really all just to save your own hide!?" Semiramis grinned. "You even lack a true desire for all the power you're trying to reach, how pathetic of a man are you!?"

"Questioning my quality when we're even like this… are you trying to insult me or yourself you bitch!?" Minho fired back.

The two continued their duel for quite some time, before Minho suddenly froze in place, and a volley of spells Semiramis slammed into the curse master's body. Minho let out a loud blood curdling scream after the spells hit, and the mana that could be felt emanating from his body suddenly increased dramatically.

"What… happened…?" Semiramis asked, confused. Minho's body was indeed damaged by the wise queen's attack, but the damage inflicted seemed to repair itself quickly.

"…The Rider is officially out of the war, that's what this means!" Minho shouted loud, his body seemingly snapping out of the trance-like state it was in. He almost immediately unleashed another spell, a powerful beam of energy. Semiramis countered with a spell of her own, but this time her magic was being vastly over-powered, as if there was barely a contest.

The blast collided with Semiramis and sent her back into a wall, crying out when she collided with the surface.

"H-how… how did you…!?" Semiramis cursed.

"Told you milady, the Rider has died… and with that, his power is now mine!" Minho shouted proudly. "I can't use his Noble Phantasms or anything that special, but the raw energy that gave him form… it all belongs to me!"

"Ozymandias… has fallen… so it's true…?" Semiramis spoke with venom in her voice as she forced herself up. "Then… the old man's plan has more than likely failed…"

"Probably, don't know what his grand scheme was, but it's likely in the gutter… and now all I need is four more Servants." Minho spoke. "Ordinarily, I'd have to sacrifice my lovely Euryale for it… but as luck would have it, a Ruler was summoned! If it wasn't for that I'd have to do something I'd really hate myself for."

"Trying to butter me up I see. Praising my high luck stat? You should focus on the task at hand before trying to hit on me." Euryale replied. Though she was reprimanding him, she in no way seemed even remotely offended by the remarks, and even smiled after she was finished.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just reacting to our good fortune." Minho replied. "Now… let us add four to the dead Servant count, shall we?" Minho gathered energy for another spell and unleashed it towards the wise queen, but a large wall of ice suddenly erupted form the ground, blocking the attack. Though the ice shattered on contact, it appeared to be enough to prevent the spell from hitting its mark.

"Stay away from my Onee-san!" Yukiko moved in front of Semiramis, blocking Minho's way.

"…Hey, kid. Out of the way. Sure you'd die if this fortress fell, but personally killing kids is still something I hate to do. Beat it and let the grown-ups talk, will you?" Minho spoke.

"No! You go away! Stay away from my Onee-san!" Yukiko shouted loud as a freezing cold wind began to rapidly appear, emanating from Yukiko's body. Ice began to rapidly form all around as the air spread.

"Yukiko…!" Semiramis spoke in a shocked tone.

"Ah… probably the first time you saw this… you really mellowed her out, you know? Kept her emotions under control." Minho stated. "You probably noticed her massive mana supply… that girl right there produces so much naturally that she doesn't even need to refine her life-force in order to use magic; she's a real monster. Apparently she caused so much damage when she'd get like this that it caused all kinds of damage… her parents abandoned her here in the United Kingdom, can you believe it?"

"Shut up!" Yukiko shouted, the influx of freezing air increasing.

"To be honest, she was the one I was worried about most. She gets like this when she gets upset you know… the only negative emotion that won't trigger it is fear. Strange but usually convenient… what a sad, sad little monster."

"SHUT UUUUUPPPPP!" Yukiko cried out. A large spear of ice suddenly formed in the air and fired. It tore through the air with great speed and pierced Minho's torso.

However, the magi did not cry out in pain, despite every fiber of his being crying out for him to do so.

He began to laugh.

"If it wasn't for my own little situation… that would have killed me… you bitch…!" Minho spat, pulling the spear out and crushing in his hand. The wound looked grave, but it quickly began to close and heal until it appeared that Minho had never been attacked in the first place.

"Stay… away…!" Yukiko growled.

"Master, I would avoid letting attacks like that land just for the sake of trying to psyche-out your opponent… body blows are ignorable but if that where to have hit your head, your higher functions would cease before the regeneration could take effect." Euryale warned.

"…Ah shit, you do have a point." Minho commented. "Alright, no more Mr. Nice Minho… last chance before I give you the beating of your life, brat; scram."

"No! You go away! You scram! I won't let you take my Onee-san away from me!" Yukiko shouted.

"You little shit! She doesn't even fucking give a shit about you! You're just another god damn tool for her to use!" Minho shouted back. "She doesn't give a shit… no one gave a shit. When the Cabal saw you, they saw a monstrous mana supply and raised you up with magic so they use it! Without your mana, pulling off the spell to even get this Grail War off the ground wouldn't have been possible! Even your own got damn Servant is using you!"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Yukiko shouted. "I don't care what everyone else's wanted of me, but I won't let you badmouth Onee-san!"

"Oh, she has you that brainwashed, eh?" Minho spat. "What'd she do? Whisper sweet promises into your ear? Did she say that she loved you? Well, it's all a lie you little shit! Do you even know her legends!? If it'll help her, she'll use whatever she can find! You're just another god damn pawn in the scheme of the poisoner queen Semiramis!"

"I don't care!" Yukiko shouted loud. "I don't care… I don't care if its fake. I don't care if it's all just a ruse… because if even just for a brief moment… I feel special… I feel wanted… everything that was said about me… it hurt so much… I know I'm a monster; that I'll just go out of control and destroy everything…" Yukiko fought back tears as she continued to speak.

"So… for this brief time I'm allowed to, I'll fight for that feeling of being loved! Even if it is all just a lie!" She shouted.

"…Alright, I give up." Minho replied, appearing to stretch his right arm. "Let the record show that I tried to drive off the little shit so I wouldn't have to kill her… If I have no choice, then I have no choice. No hard feelings kid…" He continued to stretch until his right arm suddenly felt much lighter than before. He looked to find most of his right arm missing, burned clean off. He felt searing pain but he grit his teeth to endure it.

"I will not… allow you to insult my master! Do you understand me!?" Semiramis was suddenly on her feet again. One hand had a magic circle present, while the other was on Yukiko's head.

"O-Onee-san…!" Yukiko spoke in shock.

"…Cheeky." Minho spoke in an annoyed tone. It wasn't long before Minho's arm regenerated completely, forming a brand new arm. "…Well, call me crazy. Maybe you got a little bit attached to the girl after all."

"I'll let your imagination do whatever it wants." Semiramis replied. "…But I think I just learned a critical flaw in that regenerative armor of yours…!" Semiramis stated.

"Yeah, yeah, destruction of the head kills most things, regardless of their state of being." Minho replied. "Not like you'll get much of a chance to use it."

"Oh? You're that confident of yourself now that you got a little power, are you?" Semiramis mocked.

"Oh no; I won't be doing a thing to you." Minho replied. "Funny think about love… both with words and magic, it is so easy to twist around… and your little Yukiko sure does love you a lot, huh?"

"You bastard…! Stay away from her or else!" Semiramis shouted.

"Too bad, cause there's only one way this ends! A special curse just for you both! Be doomed to kill the one you love most!" Minho threw his hands forward and a large red wave erupted forth and was quick to envelop the two.

Or it would have been, if someone else hadn't stepped in front of the two. A loud shattering down was heard and the red wave was erased like it hadn't even been there in the first place.

"…Y-you… of all people…!?" Semiramis shouted.

"I'm getting a little bit tired of hearing that today. Can't some people just be glad someone offered a helping hand?" Touma sighed. "…Are you two alright? That didn't do anything before I got here did it?"

"N-no…" Yukiko trailed off. "I-I'm fine… but… why did you…?"

"I don't need a reason to save someone." Touma was quick to answer.

"…Well fucking shit." Minho spat. "I knew you'd make it up here eventually but… hell; this is way too soon…"

"I don't know exactly what's going on with you, but this fight is over, understand?" Touma stated. "The war on the United Kingdom is over, and whatever little plot you had in mind is done too; I'm putting a stop to it personally."

"Oh you are, are you!?" Minho spat. He raised his left arm with the intention of unleashing another spell, but suddenly felt searing pain as a bullet tore through his left shoulder. "Gah! Fuck! Who the hell just did that!?"

"…Guy might be able to regenerate, but he still feels pain… thanks for catching me, Jeanne." Hamazura had fired his Metal Eater, but flew backward from the recoil, but Jeanne was able to catch him.

"Master… it appears that we are now outnumbered…" Euryale spoke.

"No shit… and they have the fuckin Ruler with them… pain in my ass…!" Minho spat.

"…Euryale, one of the three gorgon sisters." Jeanne spoke. "What is your intention here?"

"Our intention was to kill some Servants, what the hell else do you think?" Minho replied.

"I heard what you claimed; if you are indeed the Lesser Grail, what are you planning? That form is…" Jeanne trailed off, not quite sure how to describe it.

"Master… though we fall under the jurisdiction of the normal Grail War rules, it is likely that the others will be less inclined to follow them." Euryale spoke.

"…Well shit, looks like we don't have much choice but to fall back." Minho replied. "…Besides, I just got a really good idea…"

"Oh? Do tell." Euryale asked.

"It's been so long since you saw some of your family, right?" Minho grinned. "What do you say we go wake up your big sister…!?"

Euryale was confused at first, but quickly figured out who Minho was referring to. Her big sister would refer to Stheno, who could be summoned as a Servant, but would do little to aid them in their situation.

However, that's only in terms of age. After all, there was one who changed much more than the young looking Euryale and Stheno over the years, after all.

There was Medusa, the one primarily hailed as the legendary monster simply known as the Gorgon, which gave the three siblings the title as the Gorgon Sisters. If one were to bring up actual size, Medusa could definitely be called the "big sister."

"…That sounds rather lovely indeed…" Euryale replied with a smile.

"Wait!" Jeanne ran out towards the two but after a short time both Euryale and Minho mysteriously vanished. Some kind of teleportation spell without a doubt, but they were long gone.

Jeanne could confirm that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon now had one less Archer Servant on board.

"…To wake up Euryale's big sister…" Jeanne spoke to herself. "…I can't help but feel like that is a foreboding sign…"

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it, securing this area should be our first priority…" Artoria spoke. She turned and aimed her invisible blade towards Semiramis.

The wise queen clicked her teeth. The odds were against her. As much as she hated to admit it, A Saber-Class Servant like Artoria would more than likely have a high degree of Magic Resistance, and while she could potentially override that with her boosts from being aboard the hanging Garden, she knew from the start that the Ruler had complete immunity to it; she could potentially defeat the Saber but would be completely at the Ruler's mercy.

And that's just considering the two Servants. Kamijou Touma could negate her magic, as well as the forces outside; it was likely the unlucky Kamijou's group was seen running up the steps and others would be close behind. And to top it off; it was clear that her master was more than a little shaken and not ready for another fight.

There would be only one outcome if she decided to fight. As much as she despised the thought, there was only one way she was going to survive.

"…Aim that somewhere else… as much as it pains me to say it, my chance for victory evaporated when Minho appeared…" Semiramis sighed. "…To think that I was shamed like this. First that Minho character bests me in a duel, and then I wind up being saved by a man… how dreadful…"

"Hey, have some hospitality. Not all guys are pieces of shit, so have some gratitude. better than being dead right?" Hamazura commented.

Semiramis simply turned to glare at the blond boy.

"…Going to have to do better than that. Seen worse stink-eyes than that, lil' lady." Hamazura commented. This was immediately followed by a loud shout. It was very clearly Mugino, calling Hamazura's name. The dirty blond looked down towards the steps and blinked, only to shift back to Semiramis once more, who was now grinning.

"Go on now, back to your master." She mocked.

"…We'll finish this later…" Hamazura pointed at the wise queen before moving to travel down the steps to investigate what Mugino wanted. It appeared that the fighting was not over so he felt comfortable leaving the group.

As Hamazura walked down, three more people traveled up, although one of them was excessively small.

"Touma!" Index called out, Othinus riding on the nun's head. Touma turned to face them and was promptly tackled to the ground.

"Index! Not so rough!" Touma cried out in pain, but was quick to discover that Index was hugging the boy very tight.

"I…I missed you Touma… are you ok?" Index looked up, her eyes teary. Othinus had shifted to laying on the boy's chest as well. Although her spot was mostly because of Index's sudden tackle, she made no real attempts to move.

"Human… I'll make it clear; you're not allowed to die, understand?" Othinus spoke with authority, though her intentions were clear; she was just as worried for Touma as Index was.

"…Right, got it." Touma replied. "It's alright, I'm fine. It's good to see you both."

"I guess that resolves that… Kamijou-san is successfully rescued at least." Shirou stated.

"Finally… tracked down that unlucky idiot…" Leivinia sighed. "…Still… it would have been bad if we had lost him…" Leivinia turned a little red, trying to hide the fact that she was just as worried for Touma's safety as everyone else.

"I doubt he's interested in little girls who have barely begun to even show signs of adulthood, Leivinia Birdway." Semiramis commented mockingly to spite the blonde cabal boss.

"…Tough talk from the bitch that lost the war." Leivinia shot back. "Just have to exit with the last laugh, huh?"

"Hardly… just because I have surrendered does not mean our war is over; a few small things can make rather radical changes, understand?" Semiramis replied.

"Potential rebellion huh… maybe we should execute this prisoner before she has a chance…" Leivinia drew her wand, which quickly turned into a sword, aiming it at Semiramis.

"If you wish to die… well; everyone can see that this is self-defense, right?" Semiramis raised her own hands, emanating magic power as the two appeared ready to throw down.

A loud shout interrupted them.

"NO!" Yukiko shouted. She had moved and was now standing over Touma while Index and Othinus were on top of him.

"H-hey, what's that abo- wahhh!?" Suddenly hands made of ice appeared below both Index and Othinus and threw the two off of Touma.

"H-hey! Are you two ok!?" Touma attempted to sit up, but found his body pushed back down as a new body rested here Index had once been.

Yukiko was now snuggling into Touma's chest.

"E-eh!?" He stammered out. Yukiko looked up and smiled.

"Thank you for saving me, Onii-chan!" She spoke warmly. Touma froze in place.

"O-Onii-chan!?" He stuttered.

"Tooooouuuummmmmaaaa…." Index shot up, showing off her fangs.

"You keep setting sights younger and younger… allow me to rewire that brain of yours…" Othinus spoke with venom, popping her knuckles.

"H-hey! I have nothing to do with this!" Touma shouted as he tried to defend yourself.

"…Hey, war or not… you have a problem situation over there too, right?" Leivinia nudged her head towards the scene just across the room. Semiramis turned to look and her face immediately twisted in disgust.

"Hey! Get away from my master you god damn bastard!" Semiramis replied, turning her own offensive spells toward the unlucky Kamijou. Leivinia did the same with her symbolic weapon, but for entirely different reasons.

"H-hey! Listen to me! She just popped herself down! I'm innocent!" Touma shouted.

"…So… this is the kind of thing you like… Touma…" Artoria was the last to speak, as she stood with her armored crossed and a look of contempt on her face.

"A-Artoria-san!? You too!? What kind of misfortune is thiiiiisssss!? Shirou! Help a guy out, will you!?" Touma pleaded as the girls made their way over to the unlucky Kamijou.

"…I pride myself in being able to save people… but even I can see an unsalvageable situation when I see one." Shirou stated.

"I-I was abandoned immediately!?" Touma shouted as fear crept over him. Slowly but surely, five angry girls made their way over to him with the intent of inflicting bodily harm upon the unlucky Kamijou.

Semiramis however suddenly came to a stop as the look of worry washed over her face.

"Somethings wrong…" She spoke. "The flow of mana… someone's interfering with my Hanging Gardens of Babylon…!" She made way over to her throne as the sudden announcement dispelled the anger in the room. Touma set Yukiko down to his left and stood up, quick to run over to the wise queen.

"What exactly does that mean?" Touma asked.

"I'm about to find out…" Semiramis replied. Several images appeared in the air, but the wise queen focused on one.

Several magi gathered around a large object; it appeared to be the core of the flying fortress.

"…Albert!?" Semiramis hissed. "That bastard… what the hell is he doing!?"

"Hold on, what's happening?" Touma asked.

"Magic seals… in lined with explosive spells… he intends to destroy the core!" Semiramis spat.

"I'm… guessing something bad happens if he succeeds in that…" Touma spoke.

"If you consider my Hanging Gardens falling out of the sky, then yes… it's bad." Semiramis spoke in an irritated tone. "It must be some sort of last resort plan… it doesn't matter if everyone else dies too, you idiot…!"

"…Where's the core?" Touma asked. "If it's that bad, just point the way and I'll stop him."

"I have no reason to answer you." Semiramis spoke. "What's to stop you from holding the core over my head as an excuse to force me to cooperate with whatever scheme you have next? Semiramis will not work with a man, let alone someone like you…!"

"Your pride doesn't matter if you die!" Touma shouted. "Look, enemies or not… you said it yourself; if that core goes, we all go. Everyone; you, me… Yukiko. I'm not asking you to trust me, but if we don't do something, then everyone dies, understand!? Now shove that pride of yours aside and let me help you!"

Semiramis was silent for a moment. Her eyes twitched with irritation as she closed them; thinking intently.

"…You'll never find it without me." The wise queen stood up. "I don't know what you intend to do, but you'll never locate it without my will to open the path. How Albert gained access is beyond me, but I assure you it's quite secure."

"All you need to do is lead the way; you can leave the rest to us, ok?" Touma asked.

"If Onee-san and Onii-chan are going, then I'll go too!" Yukiko announced proudly.

"Grr… Touma! I'm coming too! I'm not going to lose to some eight-year-old!" Index shouted.

"…Why are you suddenly so fired up?" Touma asked.

"You better be ready; we have one more loose end to tie up after this." Mysteriously, Othinus appeared on Touma's shoulder once more.

"That man, Albert, was Mordred's master… please; allow me to assist you." Artoria spoke.

"The destruction that would be caused would be catastrophic… if you require more aid, then allow me to participate. I would be humbled to assist one of Hamazura's close friends." Jeanne stated.

"You can count me in, let's wrap this up." Shirou added.

"…Birdway? Do you want in on this too?" Touma asked.

"…I suppose Albert does still have command seals for me to steal so I could acquire a Servant… that still does hold a minor interest…" Leivinia flipped her hair back. "…And you're clearly asking for help, so I don't have much reason to refuse."

"Thanks… let's end this." Touma announced. The group made their way outside to find most of the fighting over. Some pockets of resistance still stood but most had crumbled. But there were two noteworthy observations made.

Lazarus Wolfchild and his associates were now absent, as was Mordred's unconscious body. Taking note of that, the group made their way back down into the maze that was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon's interior.

Albert's suicidal plot had to be stopped at all costs.

* * *

 **And so Minho retreats and the group now forms up to stop the last of the big three from destroying the entire fortress... and even should they succeed, they still have one final boss to deal with...**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure; I still adore feedback!**

 **Have a good day my friends!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	27. CORE

**We're getting closer my friends...**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"So this is it…?" Touma asked. The group now stood before a large stone wall deep within the flying stronghold. "Alright… it's your fortress, so I'll buy it… but how do we get inside?"

"Only I and those with me are permitted entrance." Semiramis ran her fingers across the stone wall slowly. "…I see… so that's how… he must have found this a while ago… he altered the entrance requirements…"

"So what do we do then? Break it down?" Shirou asked.

"Keep your urges for destruction in check… this area is protected by a powerful bounded field I erected and that Albert must have hijacked… but luckily for us…" Semiramis grabbed ahold of Touma's right hand and forced it up against the wall. A loud shattering sound was heard.

"H-hey! Just ask next time, ok?" Touma pulled his hand back.

"And now that barrier is removed…" Semiramis began to carve some kind of sigil into the wall with her magic, and after a moment, the stones began to shift and break apart, and long path appeared before them. It stretched into darkness, but there was a small light near the end; more than likely the exit.

"And there you are; a direct path to the core. Satisfied?" The wise queen asked.

"I don't think we have to remind you what happens if we find out this is a trap you witch…" Leivinia commented.

"Perish the thought… or have you forgotten that my life and that of my master is under threat as well?" Semiramis replied. "If you lack that much confidence in me, then I shall take the lead. Surely that gives you enough of an idea that I don't have the intention of betraying you?"

"…Whether we like it or not, we have to work together." Touma stated. "Lead the way, we'll be right behind you. I don't have the intention of going behind your back either. Let's get this done."

Semiramis eyed the spikey-haired boy for a moment before she began to make her way down the path with the rest of the group close behind. The path was as long as it appeared, but after a few minutes they had reached the end. The path opened up into a large circular room with a bright glowing sphere in the middle, lighting the room.

It was currently occupied by several magi, who were gathered all around the orb, making inscriptions everywhere.

"…Caster? What are you doing here?" Albert spoke from the enemy group, calling out to the wise queen. "…And what is this? Those who you're with… have you turned against us?"

"I should be the one demanding an explanation you ignorant fool!" Semiramis spat. "Tell me; what are you planning? Whatever kind of strategy has been devised, this is suicidal. If you truly wish to die then drive a knife into your own neck; don't try and destroy my Hanging Gardens of Babylon, understand…!?"

"…As expected. Honestly I was not sure if you'd survive that onslaught up above." Albert spoke. "It doesn't matter now… but this is hardly suicidal; I have already taken all the necessary precautions and have spells in place to ensure my and my allies' survival in this room."

"Like the modifications you made to the bounded field? Sorry, but that's already been dispelled." Semiramis replied.

"…Is that so? That just means our preparations will take longer however." Albert replied. "Please understand; this is necessary for our victory. The goal set in mind is still very much a possibility… though more difficult since the fall of the United Kingdom is likely impossible now."

"What the hell are you going on about!?" Touma shouted. "If this fortress goes down, everyone else on board dies too! Your own allies are up there, right!? You're going to kill them all just so you can say you won!?"

"The ends shall justify the means… and this wouldn't have been necessary if it wasn't for that blasted Servant of yours annihilating our forces!" Albert spat.

"I can't allow you to do this… the lives lost will be catastrophic on board! Let alone whoever could be down below us right now!" Touma shouted again.

"As long as my victory is certain, nothing else matters." Albert spoke confidently. "As long as I survive, I can raise the Solution to Nothingness from the ashes of destruction."

Touma wanted to argue further, but a sudden burst of water from Albert's hands forced him to block with Imagine Breaker. Albert kept the stream flowing, preparing another spell while Touma was forced to stand still, but suddenly the torrent of water was forcefully redirected onto several of his own men, much to his surprise.

The ceiling above the two groups suddenly began to collapse. Jeanne used her Noble Phantasm to erect a barrier to protect the group, but the other side wasn't so lucky.

Lazarus Wolfchild had been the one who destroyed the floor above; this fact became clear when he descended down with his sister Victoria not far behind. In the confusion, Lazarus rushed ahead and slammed his fist into Albert's face, sending him flying back due to the force of the attack. The magi who witnessed the even began to back away from the two slowly, not eager to incur their wrath.

"Albert Radcliff," Victoria began, aiming her trident at Albert as the water that the well-dress magician had spread out with his magic began to flow around her. "Cease this operation at once, and order these men to stand down. This plot of yours is over."

"I refuse." Albert replied as he climbed back up to his feet. "I don't answer to you anymore… we don't answer to you any more… we have long since been tired of your leadership!" The magi around shouted in kind, supporting the well-dressed magician's claim. "You were running the cabal to the ground, and plans of rebellion were already in place; if the Dawn-Colored Sunlight had not invaded that night, you and your wretch of a sister would be long dead!"

Lazarus narrowed his eyes at the well-dressed magician

"You see? This is not your cabal anymore Lazarus… it is mine!" Albert shouted. "And I will succeed where both you and my father failed… and as the Sage planned, first step will be to drown the world's powers with despair with the death of all those on board here… magicians from all sects, holy Saints, even the President of the United States is here! And every single one of them will fall! And then… when all seems lost, we shall ride in gallantly as the savior of all those still trapped in the sea of despair! That is how I will fill the void in the people's hearts!"

"…That's what the old man's plan was, huh?" Touma asked. "You're not going to get away with this… you can't bring happiness to people's hearts like that!"

"Shut your mouth you ignorant prig! If you hadn't appeared, none of this would have been necessary to begin with!" Albert shouted. He threw a large fireball at the unlucky Kamijou, but Artoria moved in front of him, and dispelled the flames with quick usage of Invisible Air.

"You can dish out blame as much as you want, but I will not allow you to take it out on this person, understand!?" Artoria shouted.

"Alright… I think I've seen enough of his magic to have it figured out." Index stated. "He is an Elementalist… magic spells appear to be from multiple sects, more than likely to diversify his arsenal of magic."

"…Listen closely, because this is an honest request from Lazarus." Victoria turned to speak to the group behind her and the cabal boss. "He asks for you all to discipline these men properly however you see fit, but he asks that you leave Albert to him… he intends to fix the mistakes he created personally."

"…Hey Caster," Leivinia called out. "What's the status of the core?"

"It is currently undamaged… if we take up Lazarus' offer, it should at least give us enough time to halt whatever progress they have made on their plan."

"That's all I needed to hear… Lazarus! Do what you need to do! If you need a hand, don't hesitate to ask!" Touma called out. With that, Lazarus charged ahead, slamming his body into Albert and the two went flying into the back wall, slamming into it with a loud crash. Using that as a signal, the group began to engage the last bastion of magi currently still trying to achieve victory.

A surge of fire suddenly erupted from one of the magi, racing towards the group as they began to move out. However, it was stopped in its tracks by Touma's Imagine Breaker. Another mage to capitalize on the immobility imposed by Touma blocking the attack, but he was suddenly struck down by Jeanne slamming her battle standard down onto the man's back. Several more tried to retaliate but found their spells to be completely ineffective against her, and where quick to be struck down as well.

"W-whoa… you can just take those like that…?" Touma asked.

"Perks of being a Ruler-Class Servant. Block their large assaults and I shall defend you." Jeanne replied with a smile.

"Don't forget about me Onii-chan!" Yukiko shouted. As she spoke large chunks of ice formed over her should and began to fire off with great speed at several magi. Touma gave Yukiko a thumbs up and the young ice magician's face lit up with a smile.

With no less than three Servants on their side, it was quickly going in the group's favor.

The only real last obstacle that remained was Albert himself, and he was locked in a battle with Lazarus. Considering how their last duel went, it would be Lazarus' victory after it was all said it done.

At least, that's how it appeared.

Lazarus threw a black sphere that then slammed into Albert's body and exploded, launching the well-dressed magician back. However, just as he did, pain tore through most of the cabal boss' right arm.

Several places along his arm starting at the shoulder had suddenly erupted with blood.

It was a rebound effect.

"H-hey! Something bad happened to Lazarus!" Index called out.

"No… has it been maxed out already…!?" Victoria called out. Albert stood back up after the attack, and upon seeing the sudden affliction, he immediately took advantage of it, unleashing a bolt of lightning at the cabal boss.

"I don't know what's going on… but now's my chance…!" Albert shouted, unleashing another spell to strike Lazarus. The cabal boss took the hit, but was quick to rise up once more. Suddenly Albert's body froze as Lazarus manipulated it with his ability, causing the well-dressed magician to fly towards him.

The moment Albert was close enough, Lazarus slammed his good arm into the well-dressed magician's neck and then smashed him into the ground. Albert coughed loudly after the blow, but managed to roll to the side to dodge a follow-up stomp aimed for his head. He jumped to his feet, preparing a large fire spell, but smirked as he unleashed it.

The large fireball flew right past Lazarus, as its intended target was actually Victoria who was forced to take her attention away from the fight due to several magicians trying to gang-up on her. Under his helmet, Lazarus gritted his teeth as he unleashed a spell with his left arm, unleashing a black orb to intercept the fireball. It was a success as the black orb exploded within the flames, dispelling the attack, but the blood vessels in Lazarus' left arm exploded next, causing him great amounts of pain and disabling that arm as well. The cabal boss began to pant as Albert suddenly tore off the helmet Lazarus wore and struck him across the face, sending him to the ground.

"So… this is what happens when the great Lazarus Wolfchild hits his limit…" Albert spat.

"That's… like when an Esper normally uses magic… what happened to him…?" Touma questioned.

"Get away…" Victoria gripped her trident tightly. "Get away from him!" She aimed her trident and opened fire, beams of light erupting from each point of the weapon. Albert was quick to dodge with usage of his water magic to propel himself through the air. The water he would dispense would soon fly up and try to strike him due to Victoria's ability to manipulate it, but Albert's rapid movements made him difficult to catch.

Water began to pool around Victoria's feet and she was suddenly propelled through the air on a torrent of her own, aiming to run Albert through as he was distracted with his evasion tactics. She thrust forward, but the well-dressed magician was quick to grab the shaft of the trident, holding her at bay. Electricity suddenly ran through the weapon, electrocuting Victoria, before Albert slammed his arm down onto the side of her neck, sending her towards the ground unconscious.

Albert landed shortly after, only to be tackled by Lazarus upon doing so. The blow did little however due to Lazarus' own exhausted state, caused by the damage he had incurred, and the well-dressed magician was quick to blast the man back with another usage of electric magic, sending the cabal boss flying onto his back. Albert gathered up fire for another spell and unleashed it, but found it completely ineffective as Touma suddenly leapt over to their battlefield, negating the flames with Imagine Breaker.

"You… you're the reason any of this is even necessary… how dare you stand in my way…!" Albert spat.

"This is more like returning the favor for me… he busted me out of jail once, you know?" Touma replied. He then ran straight for the well-dressed magician. Albert brought his arms down on top of the unlucky Kamijou, but he managed to shift to the side to dodge the attack, responding by punching Albert across the face with his right fist. The well-dressed magician grabbed ahold of the spikey-haired teen and attempted to electrocute him, but found that his magic failed when Touma grabbed his wrists, Imagine Breaker making contact. Touma then slammed his head into Albert's face, breaking his nose and sending him staggering backward.

"I have had enough of this!" Albert announced, reaching into his coat pocket to draw a handgun. Touma ran forward and tackled the well-dressed magician to the ground as a brief struggle broke out between the two. Eventually, Touma managed to get the handgun away from Albert and tossed it aside, but was punched across the face for his effort. Albert forced the unlucky Kamijou off of him with his foot and was quick to climb back to his feet. Touma staggered for a moment, and the well-dressed magician leapt forward, slamming his larger body into the spikey-haired boy and ramming him into a wall.

Touma coughed up blood at this point, but Albert wasn't finished as he put both of his hands around the unlucky Kamijou's neck and began to choke him out.

"You have long been a thorn in my side…!" Albert spat. "If it wasn't for you… our plan to take control of the cabal would have been a success! But you had to come along and ruin EVEYRTHING!"

Touma struggled against the well-dressed magician and the two fell to the ground as a result. However, Albert remained on top of the spikey-haired teen and continued to choke him.

Artoria was quick to notice this and raced to his aid, but found the remaining magicians quick to intercept her.

"Out of my way!" She shouted as she tore through the magi, either by cutting them down or knocking them aside. She eventually found an opportunity to escape, and shot forward.

However, someone else appeared in her path that gave her advance pause.

"…Mordred…!" Artoria spoke as the Servant in question formed in front of her. Mordred held Clarent with both hands, the tip stabbed into the stone floor. Her armor was absent; she appeared just as she did after taking on Ozymandias' attack head on.

"Stand aside! I don't have time to deal with you Mordred!" Artoria shouted. Mordred was unfazed, and simply picked up her sword and holding it with the blade aimed towards the King of Knights.

"…Good, I thought Rider's attack had killed you." Albert spoke. "Hold them at bay, I'll be able to support you properly soon." He continued his efforts to end Touma's life as Mordred stared down Artoria.

The Knight of Treachery closed her eyes and seemed to take a deep breath before opening them again.

She smiled confidently for a moment before she spoke.

"I'll see you later, Father."

Artoria was bewildered as Mordred suddenly turned and ran straight for Albert and Touma.

"What are you-" Albert turned to speak, but only met steel as Mordred ran her blade through the well-dressed magician, silencing him. With a mighty shout, Mordred tore the blade out of Albert's side, the force of the action throwing him off of the unlucky Kamijou.

Touma coughed as air began to fill his lungs once more. Blood had splattered on his body from the sword strike, but he was otherwise unharmed.

"Oh? That's a better look for you. A little bit of freedom put some fire back in those eyes of yours, I see." Mordred smirked. She held out her hand but Touma hesitated, more than likely due to his past experiences with the female knight. "Oh come on; do you really think I'd try to kill you after saving your ass!?" She reached down and grabbed the unlucky Kamijou's arm and forced him back up to his feet.

"B-but… how… why…!?" Touma was more than a little confused.

"Worry about that when you're out of harm's way you idiot…" Mordred spoke in an irritated tone. Seeing their boss fall in battle, the remaining magi were quick to surrender; their main path to victory was now closed.

"Mordred… why did you save him…?" Artoria asked.

"Oh? That's the response I get? Figured you'd say something else… I don't fully understand but this brat is someone special to you, right? Where's all the praise for pulling his ass out of the fire?" Mordred replied.

"But you struck down you master… without him…" Artoria trailed off.

"…Yeah, I know." Mordred replied. "…Don't really know how to explain it… I just had this really intense feeling that I shouldn't let him die, you know?"

"…Thank you, Mordred." Artoria spoke in a more cheerful tone as she smiled. The female knight turned and smiled back as well.

But it wasn't over.

"You… treacherous… bitch…!" Albert spat as blood flowed from his mouth.

"…Tough little bastard, aren't you? I know I at least took out a lung…" Mordred spoke. "Figures that you're strong, but your personality is dry as hell; completely uninteresting."

"...By… the order of this command seal…!" Albert spoke. It was easy to tell what he was going to do next.

With his last breaths, he would use his remaining command seals to force Mordred to act, and there were two possibilities.

He would either order Mordred kill herself as punishment for betraying him.

Or he would order her to kill Artoria for revenge against her.

It was irrelevant however, as the moment Albert held up his right hand and began to chant, Touma shot towards him and slammed the back of his hand into the suited magician's right.

A loud shattering sound was heard, and the command seals Albert had were instantly and completely destroyed.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you!?" Touma shouted. Albert's response was to shoot himself through the air, landing near the entrance. The group was surprised to see that Albert was still capable of using magic in the state he was in and moved to intercept him, but it was too late.

Or at least, that's what it appeared to be before a large man in a red robe stepped out from the one exit to the room.

"You…!" Albert spat. Dand reached into one of the pockets and pulled out a small jar. "T-that is…!"

"Urn of the Giants." Dand replied with a smirk. He lifted the top of the urn and slammed the open jar into the well-dressed magician's face.

The urn did not shatter on contact. Instead, Albert's body began to twist and contort violently, before the man's entire body was suddenly sucked inside of the object. Screaming could be heard as the well-dressed magician's form was suddenly compressed and forced into a jar about the size of one's palm. With his target secure, Dand put the lid back on the urn, and all the voices ceased instantly.

"If you can't beat 'em… seal 'em!" Dand spoke with a laugh as he tossed the urn up and down.

"You say that like we lack the ability to kill him from behind…" Semiramis spoke.

"True… but this gives me a little leeway with the folks upstairs… they're probably after everyone from the Solution to Nothing regardless of affiliation with the invasion after everything that happened today." Dand spoke. "I'd advise you to keep your head down… you're the one who declared open war, you know."

"I would be amused if they could pierce the veil of my Presence Concealment…" Semiramis scoffed.

"Well… I guess this is truly over then. The two masterminds are down and the third switched sides… although Yukiko's servant did so begrudgingly…" Touma scratched his head.

"Is that so…?" Mordred commented. Her sword Clarent dematerialized as she walked over to the nearest wall and placed her back against it, slowly falling to a sitting position as she leaned against the cold stone perimeter.

"…Has it started already?" Artoria asked.

"I was already really low because I took that blast for you… Albert's mana supply was the one thing retaining me." Mordred replied. "But this is fine, I think. My master is out… our plan was a failure… this has really been one crazy war."

"…Albert's seals are gone, and Yukiko and I already have a Servant…" Touma stated. "I don't even know how taking on a second Servant would work with either of us, let alone convincing Yukiko… I'd offer but I don't even know how I'm maintaining Gilgamesh as is…"

"He's an Archer, so he's probably got Independent Action, right? That's probably the big reason… but you do have a point… multiple Servants would be a large strain on anyone…" Mordred spoke. "…But its fine. It's weird, but I feel content heading out like this. It's a nicer ending than the real one I had, right?"

"…Mordred," Artoria began. "Up above… you saved my life. Rider would have likely ended me if you had not of intervened. And more over, you saved Touma as well, knowing full well what the end result would have likely been… for that you have my sincerest gratitude… thank you."

"…Can I be serious for a second here?" Mordred asked. "…honestly, I just wanted some damn acknowledgement… that's really it. How really didn't matter… taking the crown didn't matter that much to me really… it was a way to get you to acknowledge me… figured if I could lead a rebellion against you and succeed that you'd have to accept me as a worthy heir… understand?"

Artoria blinked for a moment before her blade appeared in hand. She held up Excalibur for a time before kneeling down and holding the handle of the blade out to Mordred.

"…What's this?" Mordred asked.

"A blade fit for a king." Artoria replied. Mordred grasped the handle and held it up, eyeing the golden blade up and down.

"…It's heavy." Mordred stated. "So what… now I'm finally worthy now that I'm about to die?"

"…You still have a long way to go, but you have taken a significant step in the right direction… at least I think so anyway." Artoria replied. "The road to kingship is long and difficult…"

"Ah… so you're teasing your dying child… how cruel." Mordred joked. She still held the blade, not taking her eyes away from it for a second.

"…Someday, I think." Artoria spoke. "Someday… you will. I saw proof of it today."

"You really think so?" Mordred asked. Artoria nodded.

"And when that time comes, I'll name you as my successor personally." She spoke. Mordred eyed the blade for a moment longer before handing it back to Artoria.

"Just make sure my efforts here today aren't wasted, understand?" Mordred replied.

"You have my word." Artoria smiled at the fallen knight.

"…Good." Mordred smiled back. "…Sorry, but I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open… it's the weirdest thing…"

"It's alright… rest well… my son." Artoria ran her fingers through Mordred's hair as she spoke. Mordred's eyes closed and her head slumped to one side. It wasn't long before her body began to fade and after a few short moments, she was gone.

Mordred was the fourth Servant to pass on in this Holy Grail War.

* * *

 **And thus the conflict aboard the Hanging Gardens has come to a close. Not much else to say here I suppose... may Mordred rest in peace.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day everyone!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	28. The Final Chase

**Welcome Yet again, my friends. Sad to say, but this story will be reaching its end soon... but we still have a few things to take care of before that, Don't we?**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Silence filled the room. The magicians who had been behind the plot to destroy the Hanging Gardens were rounded up by the group, but they did not utter a word beyond what was absolutely necessary.

Artoria however remained in her kneeling position where Mordred once sat. She didn't make a sound, but simply remained in place with her eyes closed.

After a time, she felt a hand on her shoulder, which seemed to wake her form her trance-like stated as she looked over her right flank.

"Hey… I really don't know what to say… but I'm sorry…" Touma spoke. "…I tried to steer her away, you know? I don't know if what I said or did really affected her but…" Touma trailed off, not sure what to say further.

"…I'm sorry that… I wasn't able to save her." He spoke up again after a short silence. Artoria turned back to the ground, but lifted up her hand and placed it over Touma's, holding it for a moment.

"…It's alright. I was just grieving for her." She spoke. "She had really changed since this war began… I don't think she would do the things she did aboard here under normal circumstances…" She stood up and turned to face the unlucky Kamijou. "I really appreciate what you tried to do… thank you."

"But I couldn't…" Touma trailed off when he saw Artoria smile at him.

"You might not have been able to save her life… but I think you managed to save her soul." Artoria spoke. "It may be hard to remember when you see us like this, but Servants are those who are already dead… Mordred would have never acted like how she did here on her own… so you must have done something to incite this… so once again, I thank you, Kamijou Touma."

Touma was taken aback by Artoria's words, not sure how to react.

"…Come now, we must press on." Artoria spoke. "We must truly access everything to see if this situation is truly over."

"R-right…" Touma followed the King of Knights.

"Hey… is everything alright?" Shirou asked.

"It's fine, thank you. How are things around here?" Artoria asked.

"Well… Index is looking into those runes to eliminate them… Yukiko followed her, seemingly interested… though I don't know why…" Shirou spoke.

"Index is friendly enough… she and Yukiko should get along…" Touma commented.

"Well now, the country is safe and the risk of my Hanging Gardens falling out of the sky is averted… are you all satisfied now?" Semiramis spoke up in a bored tone.

"…Why would you help us after it was all said and done?" Artoria asked. "Even if this place would collapse, this place was protected with a bounded field that could have easily been set-up again… it would have been your faction's victory, correct…?"

"Perhaps…" Semiramis replied. "Your confidence in me to make a difference is most certainly noted… but I likely would have fallen… not to mention as much as I hate to admit it…" She sighed heavily. "…My master has suddenly become quite attached to the Imagine Breaker."

"Hey… all I did was step in… didn't think she'd get so close just after that…" Touma rubbed his neck.

"…Don't worry; it was the same with me." Semiramis replied. "She is quite the fickle child… but that's how she is."

"…Artoria," Jeanne called out, approaching the group. "I'm sorry if it is too soon… but I'd like to confirm that Mordred has indeed passed on… by my estimate she was the fourth Servant to pass on since this war began…"

"Fourth huh… guess the stuff Minho was spouting as we walked in on that scene was true…" Touma commented. "…Guess that does mean Gilgamesh won his fight."

"So three remain…" Leivinia commented. "I saw that Dand guy was the master of the Lancer… so that just leaves Yukiko and Minho…"

"Ah yes… Minho… that little rat." Semiramis spat. "I suppose the death of the Saber has only made him more powerful… no matter; it was already confirmed that a sufficient blow to the head to destroy his brain will end his life… I am going to enjoy that…!"

"That reminds me… I still need to take him out myself…" Leivinia crossed her arms.

"…Yeah, I don't know what he's planning, but it can't be good…" Touma shook his head.

"If what he said was true… then he should have the raw power of four Servants… but the question is what he intends to do when he gets all seven…" Jeanne spoke.

"Oh? Going to get involved even if it has returned to a normal Grail War, O' great Ruler?" Semiramis spoke.

"I will make myself clear, so there is no longer any confusion." Jeanne replied. "I intend to investigate this situation thoroughly… I don't care if this man has a selfish wish; I will respect it… but only as long as it doesn't beckon the world's destruction. If his honest desire is to cause annihilation and mayhem, I will act accordingly and with my full power as a Servant."

"…I suppose those are acceptable terms…" Semiramis stated.

Touma began to look around, and noticed Victoria, now conscious, looking over the downed Lazarus. His curiosity was piqued and he made his way over to the two.

"Need some help? I can't use healing magic, but if Albert put any kind of curse on him I can get rid of it." Touma commented.

"…I am quite alright, thank you." Victoria replied. "My powers are derived from Poseidon, the god of the sea from Greek mythology. And amongst his powers, he also boasted great regenerative capability… I am simply passing it on to Lazarus so he can recover quickly…"

"I see… explains why you came to so quick…" Touma commented.

"It is rare to see magicians who idolize Greek gods as their source of power." Index commented, approaching the group with Yukiko close behind. It appeared their inspection was complete.

"Indeed it is. Despite their popularity amongst the general public in fictional work, few magicians align themselves with them." Othinus suddenly popped out of Touma's coat pocket.

"…You're getting really good at doing that…" Touma commented.

"Oooohhhh! Tiny lady!" Yukiko commented.

"That's magic god to you, human." Othinus replied. "Hey Index; any idea what this girl here uses as a base for her magic?" She pointed her tiny finger at Yukiko.

"Many to form her overall power… but her primary focus appears to be on the Snow Woman of Japanese mythology… another rarity." Index replied.

"Ooohhhh! You're smart!" Yukiko turned to compliment the nun.

"Heh heh! Of course I am! I'm way more reliable that Touma when it comes to magic!" Index proudly announced.

"…But Onii-san is Onii-san." Yukiko replied with a simple argument.

"…Touma; you have corrupted this little girl's mind." Index glared at the spikey-haired boy.

"Say that again; I dare you. Say that again if you want to cook your own meals for the rest of your life!" Touma spat, clearly fed up with the accusations.

"…You all have switched to a care-free style so quickly after a battle…" Victoria commented. "…And the Imagine Breaker appears to have won over Yukiko quite easily…"

"It's just how we are…" Touma replied. "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"I'll be fine… besides; your Imagine Breaker is likely very lethal to Lazarus…" Victoria replied.

"…Eh? How?" Touma blinked.

"…Never mind, I said too much. Forget about it." Victoria stated.

"Too late now little lady." Dand walked up to the group. "Besides… there is one more loose end to wrap up… and likely these kids are just as interested in doing so as we are; better that everything is on the level at this point."

"You can't be serious…" Victoria replied.

"…Well, you can ask Lazarus then. It might be hard to believe but he is still very much conscious." Dand crossed is arms. Eyes drifted down to the cabal boss whose eyes snapped open, and he made a frustrated expression.

"…What's this about purposefully looking out of it to avoid making things awkward?" Victoria spoke in a dark tone. Lazarus turned his head to the side, looking away from his sister.

"…How did she…?" Index questioned out loud.

"Mental link; she can read Lazarus' thoughts to transcribe what he wants to say… as he is actually mute." Dand answered.

"…Alright… he doesn't mind…" Victoria sighed. "Though I still find it to be a terrible idea… to start, it would be best to state that Lazarus as he is now can be considered to be non-human."

"…Not human? How so?" Touma asked.

"His body is that of a Homunculus. There were some unexpected errors in the production process for his current body, which resulted in him being unable to speak is all." Dand answered.

"…Current… body?" Touma cocked his head to the side.

"…Alright, I'll tell the story… so listen up; I'm only telling it once." Victoria announced. "My brother Lazarus and I were independent magi, acting as mercenaries for hire for various magic families, organizations… you get the drill; if you were on the magic side and needed some work done, you would come to us."

"Well… what happened then?" Index asked.

"…One of our jobs went south," Victoria continued. "Because of that, we got into a spat with a client, and fighting broke-out between Lazarus and a family head. We won, but the family head didn't want to fall alone, and unleashed a final spell and it hit Lazarus and gravely injured him. Healing magic helped, but over time it was revealed to be just a stop-gap measure; the aftereffects of the spell were more like a curse that caused his body to constantly degrade. We found out that the only way to break the curse would be to either allow Lazarus to die and attempt necromancy, or transform Lazarus into a different form to fool the curse into believing that he was no longer alive."

"Necromancy is touchy magic… raising his body would be possible but keeping his mind intact would be a different story entirely…" Index commented.

"Exactly, so all we could do was go traveling to try and find a way to make that second option work." Victoria replied. "It took a long time… we almost gave up… but well… Dand found us."

"That's right." The large man spoke. "I was high up in the Solution to Nothingness food-chain… still am, in fact. After hearing this little lady out, I took them to the old leader of the cabal, Albert's father. After the situation was explained, the old man gave them a deal; if he could save Lazarus's life that they both would join the cabal."

"I see…" Touma nodded.

"Apparently, Albert's Father had managed to get his hands on secrets related to Homunculus Creation, and he attempted to use them to save Lazarus by using his body to create a Homunculus and put his mind and soul inside of it." Victoria explained. "And as you can see, it was successful. He had a new body and the curse was broken, although Lazarus could no longer speak… and shortly after we discovered Lazarus ability to move things around with his mind."

"…I have an idea on that." Touma stated. "There is an extremely rare chance that anyone born can be born with an Esper ability right off the bat; they call people like that Gemstones. My guess is that when Lazarus was reborn it must have satisfied the requirements and gave him an Esper ability."

"Though that doesn't explain why he can use both that ability and his magic at the same time… and makes the fact that the rebound effect was so largely delayed…" Index commented.

"That answer is… more mundane than you would like." Victoria sighed. "To put it simply, the rebound effect does occur as you would expect, but the main difference here is durability. The damage inflicted by the rebound still very much occurs, but Lazarus' body is extremely durable; even his blood vessels are incredibly strong… but they too have a limit. Eventually, even his blood vessels will burst, but he can last much longer than a normal human… since he had been using magic constantly throughout this incident he finally hit his limit and you saw what happened… but now that he is back under my care, he should be back to one-hundred percent quite soon."

"So… it's not that he found a way to stop the rebound damage… he is literally just so tough he can just tank it?" Touma asked. "I… don't even want to imagine any other espers with that kind of durability…"

"Cabal bosses are monsters." Othinus commented.

"Hey! I heard and resent that remark!" Leivinia shouted.

"…So that's why Imagine Breaker would be fatal to him… it would likely destroy his body." Touma stated.

"Exactly…" Victoria answered. After a few moments Lazarus was up and on his feet, and his arms appeared to be working once more.

"Should he be up and around like that…?" Touma asked.

"He will heal as we go. Walking shouldn't be much of an issue." Victoria stated. Lazarus nodded in agreement.

"Kamijou-san, what should we do now?" Shirou asked.

"…I think it's safe to say that Caster wants us out of this room so no one else can destroy her flying fortress, so let's head topside and see how everyone else is doing." Touma replied. In agreement, the group made their way up; with Semiramis taking extra care to seal the core away after everyone else had exited.

 **-Throne Room Courtyard-**

At long last, the fighting in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was over. The various factions were busy going over those they had captured, as well as handling those who had surrendered when they realized fighting further would be pointless.

Semiramis was currently hidden in Spirit Form in combination with Presence Concealment, as many of the men and women around would likely still carry the desire to capture or otherwise punish her for being the primary aggressor in this conflict. The group was trying their best to hide Yukiko from view because she was openly visible when the final battle aboard the Hanging Gardens began.

"Still… it's so hard to believe that so many people gathered here in one place…" Touma commented.

"When the cause is worthy, many will raise to the call of action." Jeanne spoke. The group made their way around, observing the various groups as they acted.

"Hey, boss. Where'd you go?" Hamazura ran up to the group. Kinuhata, Takitsubo, and Mugino were close behind.

"Seriously… you all just vanished during that Chaos… an explanation would be nice." Rin walked up to the group next.

"There was just a situation in the lower levels… don't worry; it's all over now." Touma replied.

"…And who's this super little bundle of joy, eh?" Kinuhata seemed to catch sight of Yukiko as she tried to hind behind the unlucky Kamijou.

"Isn't that the master of the bitch who started this whole mess…?" Mugino questioned.

"It's a bit of a long story… we're trying to make our way up to the Throne Room without many people noticing us…" Touma replied. They made their way up and were quick to occupy the throne room once more. No surprises were waiting for them this time.

Semiramis revealed herself once more now that they were safe within the confines of the throne room.

"…Alright; I'll bite. What the fuck is going on if we're working with this bitch?" Mugino spat.

"Because Minho is still around even after all of this… and it looks like he's up to something big." Shirou replied.

"You're kidding… even after seeing these magi's plan here flop he is still wanting to cause trouble?" Rin asked.

"He might actually have some bite to him… turns out he's become the lesser grail for this war, and has found a way to abuse that power." Shirou replied.

"You're kidding…!" Rin's eyed widened. "If he runs around with power like that…!"

"Exactly… he was up here when we ran up, so we were hoping some kind of clue as to where he went after leaving might be around. Only clue we got is that he intends to summon his Servant's "big sister," other than that we don't have much to go on." Shirou explained.

"The Servant was Euryale, one of the three Gorgon sisters." Jeanne spoke up. "The big sister moniker likely refers to Medusa, the most famous of the three… but the exact purpose is what we want to find out… it is highly unlikely to be his main goal; doing so must be a means to an end."

"That's where things get hard to figure out…" Touma chimed in. "He's running around with four Servants' power right now and we have no idea what he intends to do with it."

"He told me that he himself doesn't know… he gave the impression that he's just trying to save his own hide by avoiding death, but he's obviously up to something…" Semiramis stated.

"Well… how about this then?" Hamazura joined the conversation. "…I know that if seven Servants die, he basically gets to make a wish… but you said he has only four? What could he do with just the power of four Servants?"

"Well… in theory… he should have a large amount of power, so obviously spells are bolstered…" Rin spoke. "Likely he can conjure most phantasmal beasts with ease by now… that is certain…"

"…In theory, since he is the lesser grail itself, it is likely he could also call additional Servants if he desired." Jeanne spoke up. "How many is questionable… but he could call at least one of good quality."

"…Think that's how Minho intends to revive Medusa then?" Shirou asked.

"Possibly… many think that the Gorgon is a classification of monster, but in actuality it is a very unique existence in Greek mythology revolving around Medusa herself." Index spoke. "Depending on the class in which Medusa is summoned could decide how she appears… either as her normal self before her transformation, or as the monster Gorgon."

"All we can do is hope for clues I guess…" Touma spoke.

"Don't worry; if he is able to summon another Servant, it will be attached to the Grail by default… I may be only able to locate Servants within a certain radius, but I will always be able to tell what Servants are active in the war regardless of location as long as they are tied to the Grail." Jeanne spoke.

"So if Minho makes his move… we know about it. Sounds good to me." Touma spoke.

"I think we're getting closer to finding out why you were summoned to act as a Ruler, Jeanne." Hamazura added. Jeanne smiled back at the dirty blond, but a new voice echoed in the room, interrupting their conversation.

"A Ruler-Class Servant? How rare indeed." Gilgamesh appeared walking into the room as he exited spirit form.

"…The King of Heroes… so it is true…" Jeanne spoke slowly, her True Name Discernment skill proving his identity, although there was little need; he made his appearance quite clear only a short time ago.

"Hey, how are you holding up? Still in top condition or did the Rider give you a problem?" Touma asked.

"Ha! As if I would be pressured… although he was an interesting opponent I must admit… too bad that command seal forced him to fight with everything he had from the start; the only skill he saved for last was that Reality Marble. I would have enjoyed a longer confrontation with him." Gilgamesh replied.

"…So this is your Servant then?" Jeanne Asked. "To handle such a powerful entity…"

"Yeah… we're stuck together. Whether you see that as a good thing or not is fairly subjective though." Touma replied.

"Still… it is rather impressive… not all are suitable for being masters and to have one of the most powerful Heroic Spirits is definitely something to be proud of." Jeanne spoke.

"Don't say that until you actually know him..." Artoria spoke. Gilgamesh laughed.

"She simply understands what my existence here means, Saber." Gilgamesh spoke. "You can relax… I'm not here for you. Like many others, I have arrived to aid the boy you speak to so casually."

"Well, you succeeded; congratulations." Shirou stated. "Now get lost."

"…Do you desire a beating? Because I'll be more than happy to end your miserable life, mongrel." Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes at the rad-haired magus.

"Come on, save it for later. We're in the middle or something in case you forgot." Touma sighed.

"Trouble in paradise?" Kinuhata joked.

"Not now Kinuhata-san…" Touma replied.

"You sure? I still haven't been able to get you with my skirt-flip tactic yet." Kinuhata smiled.

"Not now Kinuhata!" Touma shouted. Kinuhata began to giggle. "…Good thing Lessar hasn't tried to find me yet… she's like you except actually serious about the sexual stuff."

"So what you're saying is… if my teasing was super serious, I could get even better reactions out of you?" Kinuhata grinned.

"Don't. You. Dare!" Touma warned.

"…I can see not much has changed since I've been away." Gilgamesh commented.

"…I have a list of all the shit I've been through. You want it?" Touma asked with a deadpan expression.

"…It still shocks me how easily Kamijou-san can just get along with that guy…!" Rin whispered into Shirou's ear.

"Honestly… I'm more surprised Gilgamesh tolerates it all… he's really easy to set off…" Shirou whispered back.

"…Kamijou Touma," Gilgamesh called out. "Walk with me for a time, I have something I would like to discuss with you privately." He turned and began to walk towards the entrance to the throne room. Touma looked to his friends for a moment before departing to follow the King of Heroes. They both were silent until they reached the doorway, a fair distance away from the others.

"…So what's this about?" Touma asked.

"…You are truly an evil little child; holding out on me like this." Gilgamesh stated. "Hiding the beast in your right arm is one thing but all of this…? Unacceptable."

"What are you complaining about now? I don't even know what you're talking about…" Touma sighed.

"You don't, do you? Look out there right now; tell me what you see." Gilgamesh prompted.

"…I just see a lot of people. What are you getting at?" Touma asked.

"How can you not see it…? You need to work on your attention to detail, boy." Gilgamesh stated. "Well, allow me to make it clear in that simple mind of yours… are you aware of why all these people are here…?" Gilgamesh asked, turning to face Touma properly as he did so.

"It's because the United Kingdom was under attack, right? That's fairly obvious…" Touma scratched his head.

"I'm sure some would call that their reason… but to fully understand, one must look into how they revealed their attack to the world…" Gilgamesh replied. "Likely you were taken before such an event and never told… but you were very much on display when they made their announcement…"

"…I was?' Touma's eyes widened.

"Oh yes… you were right next to the Caster herself when she sent her message out to the world." Gilgamesh stated. "She specifically warned against destroying her Hanging Gardens of Babylon from afar because doing so would end your life. It worked as a deterrent against ranged assaults… and lured everyone here to this place… If what I have gathered is correct, they intended to execute every last one of them… it would have succeeded if you hadn't managed to block that blast when you first appeared here."

"H-hey! Alone I couldn't have stopped that attack, if Lazarus and his allies hadn't been with me there would have been no way for me to properly stop that!" Touma stated. "And… that can't be true. No way so many people would have come here just for me."

"Of course stopping that attack alone would have been impossible… but that's just part of the equation…" Gilgamesh shook his head, but had a predominant smirk on his face. "I have proof… your argument that everyone here was just trying to stop the invasion… then explain to me; why the level 5s of Academy City are here?"

Touma blinked, not sure what to say.

"Having trouble? Look… right there." Gilgamesh pointed. "I recognize the brown-haired girl and the Accelerator… the girl even sees you and is trying to make her way over here, but is being harassed by the blonde…"

"H-hey… I-I mean I do live in Academy City so…" Touma trailed off.

"Is that so…? Then look there. The boy who claims to be the Almighty Thor with another girl, explain them."

"T-Thor is a battle-hungry idiot; both you and I know that… and… Lessar has been trying to get me to join her organization for a while..." Touma relied.

"Oh? And why is that? What reason could you possibly fathom that could explain why she would want you to join her organization?" Gilgamesh grinned.

"I… uh…"

"Shall I name some more? There are an awful lot of faces down there…" Gilgamesh spoke. "Of course… the best one is in the room we just left. Would you care to give an explanation as to why they decided to come here?"

"…Look, I know you're trying to make some kind of point, so just make it already…" Touma was starting to feel more than a little uncomfortable.

"You still haven't figured it out yet…?" Gilgamesh asked. "For some reason or another, be it friendship, love, admiration, desire to ally, or desire to fight; every single one of those people came here to save you. Even if it was just a side objective, saving your life was very much on their minds…"

Touma was silent as Gilgamesh spoke to him.

"Through your own selfish heroism… these people have come to you." The King of Heroes continued. "The links you have woven are deep, long, and many, and have formed into a giant network… with you as it's center. Tell me… have you truly never noticed the people who would gather around you…?"

"What… are you trying to say?" Touma asked.

"I suppose you simply don't understand the gravity of the situation… it's simple… they are your subjects… and to them, you are their King." Gilgamesh stated simply.

"Hey now… hold on… there's no way-"

"Oh I assure you that there is. Terms may have changed but that is very much the case." Gilgamesh interrupted. "There have been whispers of a "Kamijou Faction" running around… and it exists… every single person out there, and everyone you have ever saved are a part of it… and it wouldn't exist without you. You are their irreplaceable leader, just simply by existing as you do now…!"

Touma couldn't even fathom a reply as Gilgamesh spoke, finding it difficult to process all the information he was being given.

"…You could take control now if you wanted." Gilgamesh spoke. "You could take it all… most of them would act simply because you wanted them to. You could lead them into whatever battle you might face. Your network could expand further, until this Kamijou Faction encompasses the globe! These fools ask the question of "how to save the world," but the answer is right here… with you. You could do it… you could save the world… from everything, and all you'd need to do is control everything… you could go from stopping incidents when they appear to stopping them from ever occurring… and all you have to do is take control… understand?"

Silence followed for a time as Gilgamesh moved back, letting Touma absorb everything he had said. The spikey-haired teen simply stared out at everyone in the courtyard.

Eventually, Touma would respond, and how he did so was simple; he stepped backward and shook his head.

"…You shouldn't think of the world as something so weak that it needs saving." Touma spoke, turning to face Gilgamesh again.

The King of Heroes raised a single eyebrow curiously.

"…I don't know if all of this stuff about a Kamijou Faction is true or not, but it doesn't matter. I'm not a God, a King, a General, or a Hero, and something like commanding people or putting himself above others isn't something I can accept." Touma stated. "I can't and won't control anyone else like that… not now, not ever. If people out there want to follow and support me, that's their business… and as much as I'd like to tell them not to, I don't have the right to change their mind if that's truly want they want to do."

Touma turned to face Gilgamesh.

"…I'll keep pushing forward, but not as a hero or as a king… I'll move through this life simply as Kamijou Touma, and that's all there is to it." He finished.

Gilgamesh stared back at the unlucky Kamijou for a time, before closing his eyes with a smile.

"…That is a very lonely way to rule. Always there but separated… yes, that is my style." Gilgamesh stated. "You will always be surrounded by people, but you will always feel secluded… alone… very few will be able to pierce that veil to truly bond with you… is that acceptable?"

"That just means those few bonds you do make will feel that much more genuine, doesn't it?" Touma replied.

"…Yes, I suppose it does." Gilgamesh replied. His thoughts turned briefly to his one and only friend, Enkidu. "Very well; you have passed my test. Tell me; your next goal is to track someone specific down, correct?"

"Yeah… bad news. I'm sure you heard most of it." Touma replied.

"Indeed… you simply need to find and silence this man, and then this incident you have become so involved with will be resolved."

"More or less… then we can put all of this behind us." Touma turned away. "I'm going to head back with the others, you coming?"

"I have something of my own to take care of." Gilgamesh replied. "Don't fret; simply leave for your next destination and I will be along in time."

"Alright, I'll see you later then." Touma walked back into the throne room and shortly after Gilgamesh returned to his spirit form, vacating the area.

"…Touma, what did he ask of you?" Artoria asked.

"Just… some personal stuff. Don't worry about it. Did I miss anything?" Touma asked.

"Not really… we couldn't find any clues." Jeanne commented. "The only thing we could find was the general direction where they went, and it appears to be south east…"

"That's… not much. Just a general direction isn't a lot to go on… for all we know he went to the middle east or Japan…" Touma sighed.

Jeanne nodded in agreement, but suddenly froze as her eyes widened. She remained in this state for quite some time before looking up.

"H-hey, Jeanne! What's wrong?" Hamazura asked.

"…A new Servant has been summoned." Jeanne spoke. "…I won't know the identity… but I know the class… Avenger."

"Avenger…? What… does that even mean…?" Touma asked.

"It's an extra class… like my Ruler. But… it shouldn't be summonable under normal circumstances…" Jeanne replied. "It… was summoned somewhere in the south east as well. Likely Minho is the perpetrator."

"I think we know how Minho revived the Gorgon then; it must be the Avenger Servant… but reviving it on its own isn't that big of a deal… is it?" Shirou commented.

"…No, but where it was summoned is something to consider." Rin commented. "Fame Bonus… if he wanted to take advantage of that… the legends of the Gorgon are most famous in Greece, right?"

"Indeed… though the Gorgon's legends would be at their peak on the Shapeless Isle where the Gorgon Sisters resided, just simply being in Greece would provide them a Fame Bonus modifier…" Jeanne commented.

"Heh… how about that; my Leonidas would gain a Fame Bonus by being there as well!" Dand commented.

"So… it's at least kind-of narrowed down…" Touma commented. "How quick could we make it there?"

"If you intend to use my Hanging Gardens, I must inform you that it is not known for speed… it would at least be a few days to reach it." Semiramis answered.

"Damn… wait…" Touma reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny Othinus. "Sorry for the rush, but you had something that you used to move when we were being chased, right Othinus?"

"…You mean the Bone Boat?" Othinus asked. "That's been gone for a while, you know. I lost it when I became like this."

"But could you move the Hanging Gardens of Babylon with it…?" Touma asked.

"Of course it could… but as I am now, I can't make a new one." Othinus replied.

"Well… we have an all-powerful Caster-Class Servant… think you could teach her how to make it instead?" Touma asked.

"Trying to get on my good side with simple compliments will fail you brat…" Semiramis stated. "…You're lucky as long as Minho is an enemy, I have no choice but to ally myself with you; do not take my abilities for granted. If this will ensure Minho's downfall, I'll do what is needed."

"…It's possible. The ingredients are likely on board or can be easily obtained… it's just the time required." Othinus replied. "I'll need to borrow Index, and it will still take a long time… but it will without a doubt be faster than simply waiting a few days."

"Then do it… Index, you up for this?" Touma asked.

"I'll do whatever I can… whatever Minho intends it can't be good for anyone…" Index nodded. Touma placed Othinus in Index's hands.

"I'll stay here and help… I have a lot of mana to share around to help Onee-san!" Yukiko cheerfully declared.

"Too bad… if it wasn't for Kamijou Touma, Lazarus could have simply transported everyone." Victoria commented.

Lazarus simply shrugged. His telekinesis had a unique requirement when it was used on the human body; it had to envelope their entire body for it to work on them, making pin-point targeting impossible. Of course, this also meant that it was completely useless against Touma and his Imagine Breaker, at least in terms of direct use; indirect attacks such as flinging objects would more than likely still be valid.

"Alright… so probably some people seeing that we won will try and get off the Hanging Gardens… but we need to clear out everyone else… how do we do that I wonder…" Touma put one hand to his chin.

"Don't worry; you can leave that minor little detail to me!" A voice came from behind as a single hand was put on Touma's head.

"H-huh?" Touma blinked, turning around quickly. "R-Roberto Katze!? What are you doing here!?"

"I was looking for you!" Roberto shouted, smacking the teenager's back. "You're a difficult catch, you know!"

"Ugh… not him again…" Rin spat.

"…Hah… so some people did come all this way just for me…" Touma sighed.

"It would appear so… I saw you speaking with that Gilgamesh fellow, and decided to hang back for a bit… when you walked inside I decided to make my way up!" Roberto nodded.

"Figures that you know him… such misfortune…" Touma sighed.

"Now, since it has been so long, I figured we'd have much to discuss… but it seems you're already off on an another adventure." Roberto stated.

"…Kind of. It will be awhile before we can head off, but we have to get ready… sorry." Touma stated.

"It's fine… I'll just have to visit Japan sometime… it's been a while." Roberto nodded. "Well, in a situation like this… how about a military escort?"

"…Eh? What are you talking about?" Touma asked.

"Heh… hear me out." Roberto began. "There are many who will stay behind on this fortress to fight by your side… so let them." He grinned. "I'll spread the word that anyone not interested should disembark, but several will still choose to remain. But you could have the forces on here as a secret weapon… charge in on your own with a few of your trusted friends, lure him into a false sense of security… then take him by surprise with the Calvary!"

"…That's super risky, but I like it." Kinuhata chimed in, as she was eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Risky, but effective…" Roberto crossed his arms. "Plus, you could potentially end this entire situation before those aboard this fortress are even needed. I assure you that my boys are the best; they'll get you from here to Greece in three hours max… as long as you don't mind some reckless flying! Heh!"

"…Honestly, faster is better. If you can make it happen, I'll appreciate it." Touma replied.

"I hope you're not intending on flying off on your own." Shirou spoke up.

"I have stated it before and I'll do so again; you can consider my blade as yours, Touma. Simply direct me and I will protect you with everything I have." Artoria smiled at the teen.

"I've been taking a back-seat through a lot of this… so I'm ready to get things done." Rin commented.

"I'm with you boss. Don't worry about any of the side-stuff; you can leave it to me." Hamazura stated.

"Well… if Hamazura is going, we more or less have to. Someone has to super pull his Hamazura-y ass out of the fire." Kinuhata grinned. Takitsubo was quick to nod in agreement.

"…Besides; I still want to fuck up that Minho bastard." Mugino added.

"Forming a group without me eh… alright; Mark can handle the politics with all of this, so I suppose I can lend a hand… someone has to make sure Minho's secrets don't get out." Leivinia joined in.

"…Thank you, everyone. Let's do our best!" Touma shouted. The group continued to converse, but Roberto chuckled and crossed his arms.

Kamijou Touma was going to get quite the surprise when he realized exactly how many people would be willing to stay aboard and fight to protect him when the time comes.

* * *

 **So we are on our way to the final boss... the one who was responsible for everything.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your Leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day everyone!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	29. Gorgon

**And now we are here... This chapter's main goal is to really set-up what comes next... and I hope it entertains you all.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It had been a fair amount of time since the group departed from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The trip aboard the United States transport chopper was more than a little bumpy, but the speed at which they traveled made it clear how well the United States made their machinery.

A short time ago, they had just entered Greek airspace, and seemed to be on a full-speed course to Athens, Greece's capital. The group waited patiently for Jeanne to pick up on something related to a Servant, but they were far from alone in the skies above.

Lazarus and his two companions had decided to accompany the group. Dand rode inside the transport while Lazarus and Victoria flew outside with the use of the cabal boss' telekinetic abilities. Leonidas was in spirit form but was very much present as well.

"How is he? Is he still keeping up with us?" Dand asked.

"Seems like it to me… that ability of his is on the Esper side of his existence, so it shouldn't hinder his body at all." Leivinia spoke. "Though to go this far in one go… Victoria wasn't lying when she said he had some real endurance… Esper abilities should at least consume his stamina…"

"Indeed! He flew from London all the way to Academy City in a single run; it won't slow him down in the slightest!" Dand nodded.

"That's really kick ass… think he'd super qualify as a level 5?" Kinuhata asked.

"Unlikely… his skill with it is good, but the punch he packs and what he can do with it leaves something to be desired… I'd say he'd be in the mid to upper tiers of the level 4 hierarchy." Mugino commented.

"Though being a level 4 as a Gemstone is exceedingly rare… the only one higher as a natural esper would be Sogiita Gunha." Takitsubo added.

"I know… it's super weird how we started off as enemies but now we're working together, eh?" Kinuhata stated.

"Weird shit happens in these situations." Hamazura replied. "Though… this does top the Hawaii incident, but this is still fairly typical with the usual stuff I get into whenever the boss is involved."

"I've noticed that Kamijou-san is really good at winning people over to his side…" Takitsubo spoke.

"Yeah… either he wins them over naturally or they're forced to work together and they decide he's not so bad… that's usually how it goes." Hamazura nodded.

"I am right over here, you know…" Touma spoke.

"Well… its true boss…" Hamazura scratched his head.

"I would take it as a compliment." Artoria stated. "Not many can say that they are capable of turning their former enemies into allies. It's indicative of a high charisma ability."

"…You think so?" Touma crossed his arms.

"I'd say so… hell; you won over Kinuhata… no one wins over Kinuhata." Hamazura stated. In his mind he thought that the hardest person to win over would be Mugino, but he feared for his safety and mentioned Kinuhata instead to save his own skin.

"Eh? It's not THAT hard to get on my good side… though if you're super into boobs, I'm not interested. Bonus points for being super into legs and thighs though." Kinuhata stated.

"You're just saying that because you like yours, Kinuhata." Takitsubo pointed.

"Well; mine are amazing! How can I associate myself with people who can't recognize top-grade thighs!?" Kinuhata argued. "Besides… I don't want to hear that kind of talk from a boob-monster like you! I know about those huge jugs you keep hidden, Takitsubo!"

"…Is now really the time to be arguing this!?" Touma shouted.

"It totally is; we have to super clear this up before we go into battle to avoid being distracted by it during it!" Kinuhata replied. "…Hey Kamijou; boobs or thighs? For simplicity a vote for butts counts for thighs since they usually go hand-in-hand."

"Don't go asking me weird things like that!" Touma shouted. "You're just as bad as Tsuchimikado and Aogami you little pervert!"

"…Answer the question, Kamijou-san." Takitsubo replied.

"W-why are you suddenly into this argument!? Shouldn't you be asking your boyfriend that!?" Touma shouted back.

"I already know what Hamazura is into." Takitsubo replied. Hamazura's expression didn't change, but a small trickle of blood began to flow from his nose.

"It's a girl thing; just super answer the question! Tits or ass!?" Kinuhata pressed Touma on the topic.

"Oh come on! Does it really matter!?" Touma shouted again.

"…Come on Kamijou-san. Tits or ass?" Rin spoke up next.

"You're just making things worse on purpose!" Touma spat. Hearing a giggle from the woman signified that he was right.

"…Touma," Artoria started. "…Feel free to choose. I shall not judge you differently regardless."

"…Why does that sound like you're trying to comfort me, but at the same time if I choose wrong my death is certain…!?" Touma asked.

"Come on! Just super answer already!" Kinuhata shouted.

"Come on, Kamijou! It's just the body-type of girl you're into… none of us will totally murder you if you choose one we don't like." Leivinia joined the conversation.

"Can't a guy like both in peace!? Does it really have to be a choice of one or the other!?" Touma shouted. "I like boobs! I like thighs and butts! I like them both equally! Don't make me choose!"

"…Both huh? So you don't super prefer one or the other?" Kinuhata blinked.

"Of course not; how could I choose!?" Touma shouted. "Having both would be ideal, but I'm not going to say no if they have one or the other! Besides; that's just with how they look; the kind of person they are is what really matters! If the personality was good enough they wouldn't have to have either one in my eyes!"

"Well duh… we're just super talking on a physical attraction level. We know that even if a girl had a rockin' body if their personality was dirt a guy wouldn't be interested in the long run… you got super worked up for nothing…" Kinuhata replied.

"…Kill me…" Touma hung his head in shame.

"…Although," Takitsubo put a finger to her chin as she thought out loud. "...He said he likes both… so his ideal female body type would be…"

All the girls involved with the conversation made similar motions as they processed what Takitsubo had brought up.

And after a moment, suddenly all eyes focused on a single person.

"…W-why is everyone staring at me…?" Jeanne asked nervously.

"…You're not allowed to super hit on her, Kamijou. She's pure and innocent and we won't let you corrupt her." Kinuhata wagged her finger.

"I had NO intention of doing that!" Touma shot back.

"W-why am I suddenly the focus in this weird discussion!?" Jeanne whined.

"Because you happen to be the one-in-a-million girl to have both huge tits and rockin' thighs and ass. Seriously; you have the body to let you claim any guy you wanted… just avoid this one." Leivinia answered, pointing her thumb back at Touma.

"D-don't talk about my body like that!" Jeanne warned. "B-besides, the person I like is-" she slapped her hand onto her mouth to stop herself mid-sentence as she began to flush red.

"…Ohhhhh? I see." Leivinia smirked. "Come on… finish that sentence… who is it that the great Joan of Arc has a crush on, hmm?"

"L-leave me alone…!" Jeanne stated, turning away from the blonde cabal boss.

"…Heh, seems like your group can switch from serious talk to fun and games very easily. We need more folks like you back home." Dand commented.

"I noticed it too a while back… even when about to head into possibly the last and hardest battle, they find a way to distract themselves away from it long enough to relax a little." Shirou stated.

"Some people do it to help cope with the tension… some people need stuff like this before the going gets tough to make sure they'll be ok." Hamazura commented.

"…There's not a lot to worry about." Touma stated. "We will go in, beat Minho, and be done. That's all there is to it. Worrying about anything else will just stress us out… so just focus on us ending this once and for all, alright?" Touma spoke confidently.

"…Of course, you got it." Shirou smiled at Touma and nodded in agreement.

"…Hold on please." Jeanne suddenly spoke as she looked up, appearing serious. "Two Servants just entered my detection radius… an Archer… and an Avenger. It is likely that we are getting close."

"You sure?" Touma asked, receiving a nod in response. Suddenly the radio overhead switched on as the pilot began to speak.

"We are just nearly within Athens airspace… we still have a bit, but some of you might want to get a better look at this." The pilot stated. Curious, Touma stood up and went into the cockpit, followed by several others.

What they saw was the Greater Grail hanging ominously in the sky above a large building in the business district. Numerous fires appeared to have broken out, as well as destruction around the structure, evident of violent harassment from an outside force.

Undoubtedly; if the Greater Grail appeared there, then it is likely where Minho currently resided.

Noticing this, Lazarus shot forward, clearly visible by those inside the cockpit with Victoria close behind. The cabal boss smashed into the building form a lower level and Victoria entered after him.

The group reasoned that they should set the chopper down and move closer on foot, as the entire situation appeared to undoubtedly be a trap.

 **-Rooftop-**

"Well… while we were setting this little party up, looks like the Saber died… how about that?" Minho stated as he looked up at the Greater Grail as it hovered in the sky.

"So only three are needed before it is complete… you must be excited." Euryale spoke enthusiastically. "Tell me; have you decided on a wish? Or do you simply intend to take all the power for yourself and become a god among men?"

"…That second option is enticing as hell, but I have something else in mind… I wouldn't dare spoil it for you." Minho shrugged with a smile. "Hey, for curiosity's sake, what do you want with the grail? You never told me the wish you had for it."

"Truth be told, I never really had one to begin with." Euryale replied. "But if I had to pick… I wouldn't mind trying out Medusa's body type for a while. She was known to be rather… oh what's the word… voluptuous? Men's desire in women has changed a lot since my time and I would like to experience it for myself."

"…Really?" Minho raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed… do you have a problem with that?" Euryale asked.

"You kidding? I'm a man; there's no way in hell I'd say no to that." Minho shook his head. "What I have decided upon might be a little costly in terms of power… but if there's some leftover energy? Consider it done; I'll hand-tailor your new curvy body myself."

"Oh my, offering to change me up to be exactly what you feel is desirable? How perverse…" Euryale giggled.

"Yeah, yeah… just remember what you're asking for and I'll make sure you're satisfied." Minho boasted. Suddenly two hands burst from below Minho's feet and grabbed his legs before pulling him down through several floors through concrete before being thrown downward through several more.

He eventually stopped breaking through floors with a loud impact that cracked the concrete.

"Gah… fucking… hell…! Regeneration… helps with healing the damage… but doesn't do dick about the pain…!" Minho slowly pushed himself up to his feet and was quick to look around for a perpetrator.

He found exactly who it was when he laid his eyes upon Lazarus Wolfchild, who promptly punched him across the face and sent him flying backward.

Minho rolled backward before slamming his hand into the concrete floor, grinding to a halt and looking up with a grin.

"You weren't on the invite list… but I don't mind entertaining you for a while you son of a bitch!" He shouted as he shot himself towards the cabal boss, eager to fight.

 **-The Streets of Athens-**

The chaos caused by whatever had destroyed the area around the building was clear. Roadblocks were set-up to block public access to the streets leading up to the building, and the group found it difficult to bypass, though they were eventually successful.

Their transport helicopter took off shortly after they had arrived, saying they had to refuel and that they had their own orders to carry out. For now, the group was on their own.

"How awful… something tore through here like concrete was paper…" Rin commented.

"That's not all… hey Hamazura; remember at Minho's hideout you found that piece of paper that had a spell on it and you wound up turned to stone?" Leivinia asked.

"I'd like to not remember that… but yeah I do; what about it?" Hamazura replied.

"Looks like you have some friends who know how that feels." Leivinia motioned forward. Up ahead there were many stone humanoid statues. Some appeared to be fleeing the scene; others were in their vehicles that were scattered all around.

It was without a doubt petrification.

"…So many people…!" Shirou cursed as they walked through the area.

"The most notable trait of the Gorgon was its eyes of petrification… look into its eyes and you will be turned to stone…" Leivinia stated. "Servants should be resistant to it to a degree, but how much is questionable… be careful…"

"Of course… it goes without saying that Kamijou is probably super immune to it." Kinuhata stated.

"Yeah… probably." Touma replied. He took a moment to place his right hand on a stone statue, appearing to be come kind of business man. A loud shattering sound was heard as the statue shattered and the man had returned to normal, falling onto his back. He immediately began to check his body to make sure he was intact, and quickly ran from the scene.

"Well, guess if any of us gets turned to stone, we have a way out." Shirou commented. Touma nodded and the group pressed on.

Eventually they reached the grounds of the structure, much of the previous seen destruction occupying this area as well, though there were notably less people. No one was around, so the group attempted to cross the street and enter the building proper.

Their attempt was cut off when a creature of some kind burst from the ground below them, forcing them to separate.

It was large, and had a top-heavy female upper body, but its lower part was completely serpent-like, appearing very long and scaly with a yellow and black coloration. The creature's arms were covered in scales as well, ending with claws at the monster's fingertips. It had four golden wings attached to its back, and it had long purple hair, though most of the strands appeared to combine and blacken near the end to form large snake heads, each one hissing as the monster made its full form visible. Its eyes were covered with a unique mask, but despite this it seemed to have little trouble knowing where to move.

"I thought it was suspicious that he had stopped underground…!" Jeanne commented. "Servant Class: Avenger. No doubt, it is Medusa in the form of the Gorgon!"

"Hey Tohsaka-san… tell me; doesn't that look a lot like…?" Shirou began.

"The Rider from the fifth war… so it was Medusa…" Rin added.

"The mask must be stopping its eyes from activating… more than likely to preserve mana…" Artoria commented as her blade once more formed in her hands.

"Who the hell gives a shit, the more important target is inside…!" Mugino spat. "If it's such a big deal, then I'll fry the bitch myself!" She reached into her pocket and threw something towards the large creature.

It was a silicon card.

"Oh shit… HIT THE DECK!" Hamazura shouted as he noticed what Mugino had thrown. The group began to scatter as the Meltdowner unleashed a green beam of light that collided with the silicon card.

The beam didn't destroy the card however, but rather absorbed and refracted the beam, turning one into many as they all burned holes through the Gorgon. The creature shrieked and recoiled due to the pain, backing up as it reacted to the wide-spread damage.

However, not long after, the mighty Gorgon began to regenerate, crying out loudly with anger as its body recovered.

"You… YOU!" The Gorgon shouted loud and the snakes that formed from her hair suddenly shot out, lengthening out infinitely as they charged down the group.

"HYAAA!" Leonidas suddenly formed into the air, stabbing into one of the snakes and slicing it in half, using his shield to bash several more away. Jeanne used her Noble Phantasm to protect the group while Artoria shot out was well, cutting down each serpent as they approached.

Even the snakes appeared to regenerate as they returned to their master.

"It was said that only the immortal slaying Harpe could finally put down the Gorgon… its regenerative abilities are formidable indeed." Artoria commented.

"Ha! Then we must simply rise above a weapon capable of killing immortals, is that right!?" Leonidas announced confidently.

"We can probably hold it off for now… but things will get significantly worse for us if we hang around too long… it will eventually remove its mask to use its petrifying eyes." Jeanne commented. "Artoria and I should be fine, and if Leonidas is benefiting from the fame bonus he should be alright as well… but everyone else is at risk…"

"…Are you saying to let you three handle it?" Touma asked. Jeanne nodded.

"Upon seeing the destruction caused, I am without a doubt certain that this monster and whatever calamity Minho intends to unleash must be why I was summoned." Jeanne spoke. "Please; allow us to deal with this creature. When we are finished we shall follow you all up."

"Heh… I'll stay here too. My magic and Leonidas' Noble Phantasm work together quite nicely, as you'll see. A little threat of being turned to stone won't stop me." Dand announced proudly.

"I actually have an idea…" Rin stated. "If the Gorgon needs to reveal its eyes to use its petrification ability, we can use that to our advantage."

"Are you sure Rin?" Shirou asked.

"Don't underestimate me." Rin replied confidently.

"…Alright, do your best meet with us later, alright?" Touma began to make a break for the building. The Gorgon tried to intercept but found it difficult to get around as both Leonidas and Artoria rushed the monster, striking it violently to force it back. The rest of those who chose to move forward were quick to follow the unlucky Kamijou inside.

Artoria, Leonidas, Jeanne, Dand, and Rin stayed behind to fight the beast, while Touma, Shirou, Hamazura, Takitsubo, Kinuhata, Mugino, and Leivinia pressed on.

 **-Middle Floors-**

To say the fight was one-sided was an understatement. Though telekinesis worked on Minho, he would always be quick to amplify his body with the power coursing through him to break free from the restraints and attack the cabal boss. Lazarus' magic was also effective at dealing damage, but the curse master would simply regenerate whatever was taken from him, and he took extra care to ensure his head was not damaged.

It was a complete mismatch. Minho had every ounce of power needed to overpower Lazarus, and while the cabal boss could damage the curse master, he lacked any real way to put him down for good.

After another exchange, Lazarus' body was thrown against a wall. The armor that covered his chest was shattered, and several injuries bled through the black bodysuit he wore underneath.

"Man-o-man… I have to admit; even with four Servants of power running around inside of me you are still the most insufferable pain in my ass I have ever had to deal with." Minho spat. "I knock you down, you get back up. I laugh at your magic, you get smart and try to blow my head off. It really is too bad you can't specifically target parts of the human body with that telekinesis of yours, otherwise you could have snapped my neck by now and I wouldn't be here knocking your sorry ass around like a ragdoll… life is cruel sometimes, isn't it…?"

Lazarus shot forward once again, punching the curse master square in the face. The blow broke Minho's nose, but it was quick to repair itself as he unleashed a powerful spell at point blank. Lazarus flew back into the wall, cracking it with the impact, before sliding back down. The blow had knocked off Lazarus' helmet, and now he laid there motionless.

Minho clicked his teeth. Somehow he knew Lazarus was still alive, and was simply unconscious; he was too tough to die from attacks like that, even in his supped up form.

He mentally cursed; cabal bosses were true monsters.

After a few moments, a scream was heard as Victoria's body was flung down below. Her trident was broken in half and she appeared unconscious as well from whatever blow sent her down. Euryale hopped down from the hole in the ceiling with an amused smile.

"Fame bonus is such a wondrous thing… even this magician could have given me a little trouble if we were still in the United Kingdom…" Euryale commented. "So… what shall we do with these two then?"

"Let's finish them off… but before that…" Minho walked over to Victoria, lifting her up with one arm before hurling her unconscious body at the cabal boss, the two landing together. "How about that? Brother and sister dying in each other's arms…?"

"Quite poetic… one of the many great tragedies that make up this world." Euryale commented. "Make it happen, Master."

Minho held out his hands, preparing a spell to destroy the siblings with a wide grin.

However, he paused when a gunshot rang out, and he felt a sharp pain in his left leg. It was quick to fade as the wound healed, but he turned with shock as he heard footsteps moving closer to him.

He cried out in pain as Touma smashed his right fist into the curse master's face, sending him flying backward.

"That's enough you bastard!" Touma shouted as Minho climbed to his feet.

The glowing markings that signified the power of the Grail did not fade after contact with Imagine Breaker. It was likely that Minho's status as the lesser grail could not be reverted until the Greater Grail was dealt with. Euryale formed her bow and fired, but a blade suddenly flew from the shadows and intercepted the arrow.

It wasn't long before the others made their appearance to confront the duo.

"…No Servants huh… I'm guessing they had a little run-in with the Gorgon…" Minho commented.

"Forget about that. What the hell are you trying to do here!?" Touma shouted. "I saw what you did outside… what do the people who live here have to do with any of this…!?"

"…Well, as residents of the world, I'd say quite a lot." Minho replied. "You see… I finally decided on what I'm going to do… and it just doesn't concern the people of Greece, oh no… it concerns the entire world!"

Rather than prattle on about his plan however, Minho suddenly shot upward through one of the holes in the ceiling.

"Hey! Get back here!" Touma ran forward, attempting to chase after Minho. He wouldn't be able to climb up after him, but he could at least ascend with some kind of elevator or a staircase to give chase. Arrows began to fly through the air as Euryale tried to intercept the unlucky Kamijou. After a short time though Meltdowner beams began to intercept the arrows.

"I saw that bullet wound close up like it was nothing… so it's probably my Meltdowner won't be much of a threat to him." Mugino commented. "So as much as it pisses me off… I probably can't do that much against him personally… but killing his little Servant would probably piss him off!"

"…Taking her out may make him stronger… but in a situation like this it's probably unavoidable… you sure you can handle it?" Touma asked.

"You can super leave it to us! We'll smack this bitch around good!" Kinuhata shouted.

"So rude…" Euryale stated as she prepared another arrow.

"…Hey Takitsubo, what do you plan to do?" Hamazura asked.

"I'll be staying with Mugino and Kinuhata." Takitsubo replied. "I can potentially provide support for them."

"…Then I'll stay behind to so I can run you out of harm's way." Hamazura stated, putting the handgun he had back into his pocket and pulling the assault rifle he had on his side up. "That fine by you boss?"

"Do what you need to do. Leave the heavy lifting to us." Touma replied.

"Just give that prick a punch across the jaw for me, ok!?" Hamazura shouted back.

"Heh… he thinks he can get away from me that easily, huh…" Leivinia spat as she jumped up the hole Minho traveled through. Touma sighed, as he was going to have to make his way up the old fashioned way, but found himself suddenly lifted up by Shirou, who simply nodded at him. Touma nodded back and the two began their ascent as Shirou used his own reinforcement magic to strengthen his legs to allow him to give chase.

And so the group split once more, each one with a goal in mind. But they would gather together again soon.

As the final battle was upon them.

* * *

 **For those curious about Jeanne's "The person I like actually is," bit, that was inspired by Fate/Grand Order's story... blame them for giving me bad ideas for comedy!**

 **That said, the stage is set... and next we have our final confrontation in this story. The end of the war is soon!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day everyone!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	30. Herald of the Age of Gods

**And here we are... our final confrontation... I won't waste any time.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Touma, Shirou and Leivinia continued to race upward. Minho was long gone by now, but they simply had to follow the trail of mana that was emanating from Minho's body. And even then, there was only a single set of holes in the ceiling for them to track, and it was clear he had gone all the way to the top.

It wasn't long before they reached the roof, and were greeted by the brilliant blue light of the Greater Grail. But that wasn't their target right now.

It was the man standing underneath it.

"You sure know how to move… but are you sure it was wise to leave some of your group behind to deal with Euryale? Fame bonus makes her quite formidable… even if her specialty isn't direct combat." Minho stated, turning around to face the three.

"You sure are a pain in the ass to track down… you little shit." Leivinia shouted.

"…Tch, it would be another cabal boss… but then again, if you had stayed behind, Euryale would have lost for sure… but still; what a fucking pain…" Minho groaned.

"Cut the talk! What are you trying to do!?" Touma shouted.

"…Ah, I suppose I might as well say it… though it'll spoil the surprise, it's not like you pieces of shit are going to be around for it." Minho replied. "The world really has become one giant shit hole… you know? Everyone is out for themselves; they'll use whatever and whoever to do what they want or get what they want, and to hell with everyone else! Am I right!?"

"Speak for yourself! I know about your fucking track record you bastard!" Leivinia shouted. "All the organizations you toppled just for your own gain… and now you're here preaching about how bad the world is? You're one of the pieces of shit you're talking about!"

"Exactly! I am walking talking proof! The fact that I am allowed to exist is evidence of how rotten and vile this world and those who live here have become!" Minho shouted. "But I have an idea… I honestly had no direct wish for the grail; I just wanted to see what would happen! But… I have a solution!"

"The world isn't so weak that it needs to be saved! How many people am I going to meet that fail to understand that!?" Touma fired back.

"Oh I know; humanity is basically immortal now… no matter what happens we won't allow ourselves to die. But that doesn't change how we act… how vile and weak we have become… but I know how to weed out the weak and fix this corruption that has bled so deeply into the very essence that is human nature!" Minho speak loud and with confidence in his words.

"…What are you trying to do…?" Shirou formed Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands once more, aiming one of his blades at the curse master.

"To answer that means to revisit the mighty figures who once shaped this world… the ones most magi call the greatest age of mankind in terms of magic… the Age of Gods." Minho stated with a grin. "Each one of the gods, old and new, helped in shaping this world…guiding mankind… no wonder humanity's decline began when the Age of Gods ended! So… if we wish to bring ourselves back up… doesn't it make sense to simply revive the Age of Gods itself!?"

"…What the hell are you talking about?" Touma asked.

"I mean revive the long-gone gods! The very beings that shaped the world in which we walk… I'll bring every last one of them back! Be they dead or if they simply vanished from the world, I'll bring back every single god damn one!" Minho shouted proud. "They made this world… guided this world… and then abandoned this world… so I'll drag every last one of them back into this reality!"

"Are you fucking crazy…?" Leivinia spat. "Not all of the old gods were real, nor did they all support humanity! Even if what you're suggesting is possible, and even if it's only partly successful, it would lead to an all-out culture war as the gods reject and try to destroy each other!"

"And the destruction they cause will cleanse the world! And then whichever deities are victorious will reshape everything! It is the ultimate game of life and death! How will humanity fare? Will it be completely destroyed? Or will they be worth the gods' time to save them? There are so many ways it could end!" Minho continued to shout.

"You're insane… millions of people would die, and for what!? Just a small chance of a better future!?" Touma shouted.

"No matter what happens, it shall be an improvement. Either humanity's fate is sealed, or it shall learn from the judgement they received from their ways… the very same methods that allowed someone like me to exist…" Minho stated.

Touma blinked. Minho had clearly lost his mind. His "idea" to fix the world would be much more likely to completely annihilate it, and some part of him felt like Minho already knew that, confusing the unlucky Kamijou more.

It was more like Minho had a true honest desire to play with humanity, and his statement of the war of gods he intended to cause would improve or fix the world were just justification for his actions. But his desire to mess with the people of the world was far more likely to cause a great cataclysm more than anything.

Minho stated all gods, as in every one he could. Likely, it would be possible for the Holy Grail to return the Magic Gods that were banished by Kamisato Kakeru to this world, and maybe even revive the High Priest; the specific Magic God that chased him and Misaka Mikoto all over Academy City, leaving widespread destruction in his wake.

Those Magic Gods would likely seek revenge for their banishment, and how that would be accomplished was unknown.

Touma had to stop Minho at all costs. If he didn't, Minho's actions in the deranged mind he now had very well could destroy the world.

"…I can't let you do that Minho." Touma stated plainly. "What you would set in motion is too much… so many people could die."

"I understand that, it's the entire god damn-"

"No you don't understand! You don't know what you would cause! This is much more than just humanity that would be at stake you god damn idiot!" Touma shouted.

"…Figures… there's always a buzzkill…" Minho replied with a bored expression. "Oh well; not like I was trying to convince you to follow me or anything. I'm done talking; you pieces of shit ready to die!?" He held out his hands as magic sigils formed together at the palms of his hands.

Touma's answer was to run forward with his right fist chambered.

 **-Mid-Floors-**

The battle was going in ITEM's direction. Euryale proved to be able to load and fire arrows with great speed, but each one met their end at the hands of Mugino's Meltdowner. The few instances Euryale found herself in close quarters combat, Kinuhata proved to be more than enough to deal with her, despite her enhanced stats.

"Aren't you supposed to be Minho's right-hand woman? Surely you have more in you than this!" Mugino fired four Meltdowner blasts at once. Euryale was able to dodge with relative ease, but the constant ranged pressure from Mugino as well as the forced hand-to-hand combat from Kinuhata left her in a terrible position.

Euryale was an Archer, a Servant at her best with ranged conflict but at her worst with close-range warfare. And even then, Euryale was not the best suited for a direct confrontation. Manipulation through her arrows was her specialty, but the current situation prevented such, as her shots were always intercepted.

But despite this, she began to grin.

She had an ace in the hole that Minho had conjured for her. She put two fingers into her mouth and whistled loudly through them. The effect was immediate as something formed on the floor below and burst through the ground, roaring loudly. The beast's appearance actually caused the rest of the floor to collapse down to the next, disrupting the group as they fell through.

The monster was simple in design; it was a large three-headed dog, easily larger than most modern vehicles, covered in black fur and a long-snake-like tail. All three heads roared loudly as Euryale reappeared at the beast's side, gently petting the beast's right foreleg.

"What… the hell is that…!?" Mugino spat as she got back up to her feet.

"Just a little pet Minho got for me for being a good girl." Euryale replied cheerfully. "I believe most people would refer to him as a Cerberus… though whether or not he is the same fabled Cerberus that guards the entrance to the underworld is debatable… although I think you all are about to find out…"

The three-headed monster roared out before charging forward, engaging the two.

 **-Streets of Athens-**

Artoria, Leonidas, and Jeanne fought valiantly with the mighty Gorgon, trading blows with the Avenger-Class Servant. Their own blows hit hard, and would force the monster back, but whatever damage they inflicted was quickly healed, to the point that they were unsure if it was natural regeneration due to its legends or if Minho had something to do with it.

Another thing that was quickly noticed was that the Gorgon rarely spoke, though it did so on occasion, what it said was broken and hard to understand. It was much more likely to scream or shout rather than actually communicate.

"It's strength is unreal… but how it tries to talk… it's as if it's under the influence of a Berserker's Mad Enhancement…" Artoria commented.

"It is possible… Minho could have applied it with its summoning. It might be related to how he's controlling the creature." Jeanne replied. A flurry of snake-heads charged forward and Jeanne used her Luminosite Eternelle to repel the attack.

The Gorgon shrieked, seeing its attack fail once more. It must have decided that it had enough, and reached for the mask it wore, intending on using its petrifying eyes.

"Now!" Rin suddenly shot up and threw a bright red gem at the Gorgon just as it removed the mask. Rin closed her own eyes quickly as the monster's was revealed, and a blinding flash of light from the gem erupted violently, causing the Gorgon to scream loudly and clutch its eyes, clearly blinded and in pain from the light.

"Now! Leonidas!" Dand shot up next. "By the order of this command seal! Show that monster what it means when you face the legendary soldiers of Sparta!"

"Of course! This beast does not face just a single man; he faces the entirety of the great army of Sparta! **Thermopylae Enomotia!"** Leonidas charged forward as he unleashed his Noble Phantasm. As he ran, many spartan soldiers began to appear, quickly joining the fight as they all charged ahead, ramming their shields and their spears into the mighty beast over and over again.

The soldiers all had a red glow, evident of Dand's magic taking effect. The primary effect of the spell the large man used was simple; it bolsters the strength, speed, endurance, and reflexes of all those affected. It can also be used to strength items that could be seen as "Weapons of War," causing armor and shields to increase in defensive ability, and weapons to increase in destructive power. It was very similar to basic reinforcement, but unlike it due to the fact it simply required Dand's presence and not physical contact.

Its base was that of Ares, the Greek god of war, and could be seen as a blessing from Ares himself.

"How long can you keep that up?" Rin asked.

"With this many… not long!" Dand spoke. "Though, it will be enough to turn the tide of this battle!"

The spartan soldiers continued to attack the Gorgon, aided by Leonidas as well as Artoria and Jeanne. The combined forces on top of the monster's temporary blindness quickly gave them the advantage.

However, eventually sight returned to the Gorgon. It looked around with a furious appearance, searching for the perpetrator. Ordinarily, the spartans would have been turned to stone as well, but they too gained a fame bonus from being in Greece, and it appeared to be just enough to allow them to remain flesh and blood. The Gorgon tore through the spartan army with all of its limbs, searching for the source of all the soldiers trying to kill it.

Leonidas charged ahead, driving a spear into the Gorgon's eye, causing it to shriek in pain. However, the Gorgon focused it's one remaining eye on the spartan, and grabbed ahold of him and held him high in her crushing grip. With her other arm, she tore the spear from her eye, which was quick to regenerate as she focused her hate-filled eyes on Leonidas.

"You… hurt… me!" She managed to speak, her fury very clear as she grabbed him with her other hand as well, and slowly began to crush him.

"Lancer!" Artoria shouted. Invisible Air vanished in an instant as she intended to use Excalibur, but stopped when he heard Leonidas laughing through the pain.

"You… think this is enough to stop… us!?" Leonidas spat, grinning under his spartan helmet.

"Shut… up… die!" Gorgon spat, still squeezing the life out of the spartan.

"Not yet… hah!" Leonidas laughed once more. "Allow me to tell you… how my Noble Phantasm works…! It doesn't simply call forth my brothers… it calls us to endure the enemy's attack! And then… inflict an equally intense counterattack!"

The remaining spartan soldiers raised their spears in preparation to throw, as they all cheered loudly.

"You've been on quite the rampage you monster…! Tearing through and flinging my men everywhere!" Leonidas shouted loud and proud. "Now; eat all of the damage you had just decided to throw our way, all at once! And remember! It does not matter what this country is called; you will not destroy our home, as we all know it's true name deep in our hearts!"

All the Spartans, Leonidas included, shouted as loud as they could.

"THIS IS SPARTA!"

In that instant, every single surviving soldier hurled their spears towards the Gorgon. Each one shone bright as the collided and violently exploded on contact with the creature, causing it to scream as they all landed. Leonidas was thrown aside violently, but the spars did not stop until the very last one hit, causing the largest explosion of all, as it easily filled the street.

Leonidas hit the ground with a loud thud, and shortly after, the spartans faded away, Leonidas' Noble Phantasm having been spent.

The smoke cleared, and the Gorgon was gone. There was a massive hole where the beast once was; it became clear that the monster had retreated after being struck by Leonidas' final attack.

Though it was clear that the monster was not dead, they had managed to repulse the Gorgon, forcing it to retreat.

They had won.

But at a critical cost. Dand dashed out from cover, eager to meet with his Servant.

"…That was… truly a sight to behold… you really are the great spartan king…" Dand stated as he knelt down next to his Servant.

The Gorgon's crushing grip had dealt critical damage to the spartan; his ribs were crushed and more than likely pierced his lungs and heart. His time was short.

"It was… a fine battle… I only wish that I could have taken… that monster's head with me…" Leonidas spoke slow as it became difficult for him to draw breath.

"Never mind that… you once more have led your spartan brethren to victory… the Persian army could not have stopped you, and it appears not even the great Gorgon could force you to retreat." Dand spoke.

"I suppose so…!" Leonidas reached up and put a hand on Dand's shoulder. "Do me proud… that is my one request…"

"You have my word. Rest well, great king Leonidas." Dand closed his eyes. With that, Leonidas passed on, fading out of existence.

Dand stood up and looked back at his allies. He nodded at them, and they nodded back in understanding.

Leonidas gave his life for their victory, and now it was their responsibility to make use of it and end this war, once and for all.

 **-Inside, Mid-Levels-**

"God damn… this fucker knows how to take a hit!" Mugino spat. The Cerberus continued its rampage unhindered as it was constantly assaulted. Even though large pieces of the beast's flesh were missing due to Mugino's Meltdowner, it was still very active and violent. It bit down towards the ground on Kinuhata, lifting its head as it was revealed that she was holding the beast's jaw open.

"He's… super strong too…!" Kinuhata grunted as she held the beast at bay. The Cerberus waved the head biting down on the girl back and forth, trying to shake her grip, but with little success. Mugino continued to fire Meltdowner beams into the monster, hoping that eventually one would hit a vital organ of some kind and silence the beast.

A distance away, Hamazura was also unloading into the monster with his assault rifle. Bullets appeared to pierce the Cerberus' skin, but not much else. Still; he felt that some form of damage would be better than none at all, so he continued to unload clip after clip into the three-headed dog, hoping it was at least doing something useful.

"Fucking hell… bastard can eat lead like no body's business…" Hamazura spat. His gun clicked, signaling it was out of ammo and the dirty blond then cursed; it was his last cartridge. "Fuck! Damn it… would the metal eater do anything here?" He set the metal case down and began to dig through it. Takitsubo did her best to stay out of harm's way but stay at Hamazura's side, and she began to help the dirty blond assemble the metal eater from the pieces inside the case.

"Humans are so easy to manipulate… introduce a new threat and then hide yourself… and they will completely forget all about you… how sad…" Euryale suddenly spoke from a fair distance behind the two. They both turned to find Euryale load an arrow, aiming at Takitsubo. She fired, and Takitsubo knew what was going to happen next, but she couldn't stop it.

Hamazura dropped the metal eater parts and drove in front of Takitsubo, purposefully taking the arrow in the back for his girlfriend.

"Gah… you… fucking bitch…!" Hamazura spat.

"Oh my… is that a way to speak to me…?" Euryale replied. "Especially with how you feel now…?" She began to laugh lightly as Hamazura began to struggle with something.

"Fuck… you!" Hamazura grunted out, clearly in some kind of pain as he struggled with something, holding onto his head. Reflexively Takitsubo pulled out the arrow out of Hamazura's back. Though doing so would cause more damage, she hoped that it would help lessen whatever was affecting him, but instead it seemed to get worse as Hamazura began to roll around on the ground.

"Hamazura…! Hamazura! What's wrong!?" Takitsubo's voice rang out as she looked down hopelessly at her boyfriend.

"Resist all you want… the end result is inevitable." Euryale giggled lightly.

"…What did you do to him…!?" Takitsubo spoke with venom clear in her voice.

"That was my Noble Phantasm, I'm afraid… he won't be himself for much longer… soon he will be entirely devoted to me and me alone… to put it simply; I shot him with an arrow made of love… and now he'd like to see other people…" Euryale spoke in a mocking tone.

Takitsubo knew what that meant; manipulation of Hamazura's mind. Her reaction was instant as she reached into Hamazura's pocket and drew the handgun he had, opening fire almost immediately on Euryale. Each bullet hit, but they did very little damage to her at all.

It wasn't like the Illegal Grail War; Servants were not vulnerable to gunfire.

"Oh my… do you hate me that much? Do you despise me for stealing his heart?" Euryale continued to mock the esper as Takitsubo glared at her. Suddenly Hamazura shot up, standing up straight, and Euryale smiled.

"Hamazura… my love… please stop those girls who insist on hurting my pet." Euryale spoke. Hamazura wordlessly nodded as he then charged forward, moving toward Mugino.

"Hamazura, no!" Takitsubo shouted. She tried to chase after him but was suddenly tackled and restrained by Euryale, using her superior strength to restrain the esper.

"Oh no… you stay right there… I have a special show for you to watch…!" Euryale stated. Hamazura continued unopposed, charging down towards Mugino with a punch, but luckily the Meltdowner noticed in time and dodged the attack.

"Hamazura, what the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Mugino spat.

"T-The Servant did something to him!" Takitsubo shouted. "Don't… hurt him! He's being controlled!"

"You have got to be fucking kidding me…!" Mugino cursed as she continued to dodge Hamazura's strikes.

"Mugino… I super can't hold this guy off on my own, you know!?" Kinuhata grunted out as she continued to hold one of Cerberus' jaws open.

"I'm kind of busy myself…!" Mugino shouted as she continued to move around Hamazura's strikes. She couldn't do much with her ability without seriously harming Hamazura, so all she could do was either dodge or block his strikes. With her prosthetic arm she punched the dirty blond down to the ground, but Hamazura simply got back up and continued his assault.

"No… Hamazura…!" Takitsubo struggled. "Get… off of me! Get off me right now!"

"Not a chance… you're just going to have to sit there and watch…" Euryale stated. "Will your friend kill your lover…? Or will she give in and let the boy murder her… and the fate of the one fighting my pet… so much to find out… don't you think?" Euryale grinned. Takitsubo continued to struggle, but she couldn't resist Euryale's strength as a Servant.

She was helpless. She couldn't move to save him.

But a glimmer of hope arrived as the area darkened around the two. It was as if someone was standing over them and blocking the light.

Euryale turned to look, and was met with a large metallic gauntlet that smashed into her face. The impact was more than enough to cause Euryale to let go of Takitsubo and to launch the Archer into a wall, freeing the esper from the Archer's assault.

Takitsubo turned around to see what had happened, and was surprised to see Lazarus Wolfchild standing up once more. The cabal boss simply looked down and nodded at the esper, she eagerly nodded back. Takitsubo was quick to raise to her feet and then she began to run towards the fight between Hamazura and Mugino.

"You're… really a pain in our side…" Euryale spat as she stood up. She fired an arrow at the cabal boss, but he raised one of his hands and used his telekinetic power to send the arrow away. Almost mockingly, he launched it into Cerberus, the arrow sticking into one of the beast's hind-legs. Euryale opened her mouth to speak, but soon found herself flying towards the three-headed dog as well, slamming into its side hard enough to knock the beast over. Kinuhata used this opportunity to jump from the beast's mouth as it fell over on its side, retreating to safety shortly after.

Euryale stood up, but suddenly found the world around her to wildly distort.

It was as if the laws of the universe meant nothing.

She didn't know it, but this signified the strongest spell in Lazarus' arsenal.

The Grand Cross.

Four rainbow-colored orbs formed all around Euryale and slammed into her body, and she began to scream as the spell did its work.

Takitsubo ignored this as she ran towards the two still fighting. She tackled the dirty blond to the ground and did her best to restrain him. Hamazura fought violently while he was under the effect of Euryale's Noble Phantasm, even going as far as to punch and bite Takitsubo, but she did not let go even once.

"It's ok… it's ok… it's ok…!" She continued to speak softly as she held Hamazura down, enduring the dirty blond's attempts to break free.

Mugino wordlessly looked around. She saw the Cerberus begin to stand up, as well as Euryale trapped and still screaming in reaction to Lazarus' Grand Cross spell.

But she had decided enough was enough, and threw another silicon card into the air.

"Eat this you son of a bitch!" Mugino then unleashed her Meltdowner into the silicon card, causing a similar effect as it did previously against the Gorgon. Meltdowner beams flew everywhere, burning through anything and everything.

Several struck the rainbow orbs and caused them to explode violently, spreading smoke all around due to the blasts. Eventually the beams faded and the smoke began to clear.

The Cerberus was riddled with holes, trying to move but had little ability to do so. Several Meltdowner blasts must have finally been able to hinder the beast's muscle control as it was currently incapable of movement, although it did try.

Euryale was in bad shape. While she was still conscious, one of her arms and one of her legs had been burned away, and her bow lied split in half a fair distance away from her. Other portions of her body were missing, as if they had been ripped violently from her, likely the result of Lazarus Grand Cross spell. She struggled to push herself up with her one free arm, and was met with Mugino staring down at her.

"How… how… dare you…!" Euryale spat. "I… am one of the… gorgon sisters… born from the wishes of mankind for ideal idols… how… dare you…!"

"Ideal idols? Hardly… you didn't even register as cute to me, you little bitch." Mugino shot back. "Truth be told; the monster outside looks more appealing than you… but maybe that's because I know how you operate…"

"Curse… you…!" Euryale spoke low, her strength failing her. "My… sister… will ki-"

Mugino fired a single Meltdowner blast, aimed for Euryale's head. The beam erased it with ease. Euryale's body slumped down, and eventually faded away.

Euryale was the sixth servant to die.

Hamazura slowly began to halt his movements as Takitsubo held him.

"Hamazura…?" She called out as the dirty blond suddenly stopped moving.

"…Takitsubo…?" Hamazura replied. "What happened… by back hurts like-"

He didn't get a chance to speak further as Takitsubo abruptly kissed him and pressed her body up against his, wrapping her arms around him. He was shocked at first, but gradually began to kiss back as Takitsubo began to get more aggressive.

"…I know you're super happy that he's back to normal, but now is not the best time to fu- D'OW!" Kinuhata was interrupted as Takitsubo abruptly threw Hamazura's handgun at her, the butt of the gun striking her in the head. "That doesn't hurt because of my offence armor, but the sudden jerk of my head strained my neck… seriously… ow…"

"…Let them suck face. Takitsubo was probably more worried than the rest of us…" Mugino commented. "…But if either of them starts getting frisky though, stop them. We still have a job to do."

"I'll do my best…" Kinuhata rubbed her neck, trying to dull the pain.

Lazarus stood silently as he ever did. He glanced over at Victoria; he was able to confirm that she was alive but still unconscious.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to face the person trying to get his attention.

"…Alright, I'm going to say this only once, so don't get any ideas." Mugino stated. "…You saved Kinuhata, which ended up saving Hamazura and letting us end this little spat… so… thanks." She crossed her arms as she spoke, clearly not used to having to thank someone else.

Lazarus simply gave her a thumbs up.

"…Right; fuck you can't talk…" Mugino replied. The Cerberus continued to move, and in response Lazarus held up one of his fingers and aimed at the beast, and fired three black orbs. Each one hit one of the heads and exploded violently, destroying each one. The Cerberus' body then went limp before fading away.

"…Super nice finisher, good job." Kinuhata commented. Lazarus held up his finger and blew, as if he was blowing off smoke from a gun.

"Ok, now you're showing off; stop it." Mugino warned. Lazarus shrugged and walked over to his sister's form, sitting down next to her. It wasn't hard to figure out what Lazarus was going to do next.

The most important person in the world to Lazarus Wolfchild was Victoria, after all. Even if the final battle was taking place upstairs, if his sister was in trouble, he would stay by her side.

So, even though there was one more fight, Lazarus would remain with his sister until she came to. Mugino simply nodded at the cabal boss and walked over to the remaining members of ITEM.

It wasn't long before those who were facing the Gorgon arrived upon the scene. It didn't take long to mutually explain what had happened to each side, and shortly after Dand went over to Lazarus side. He put his back against the wall after confirming that the two were alright, and slid down, appearing exhausted.

It was clear; after using his magic on all of Leonidas' men, he was out of mana and clearly on his last legs in terms of stamina. He stated such, saying it would be best to leave him behind now, going further to state that Victoria would be able to heal him whenever she came to.

The group accepted his explanation, and after convincing Hamazura and Takitsubo to end their make-out session, began to press onward.

 **-Rooftop-**

The battle was long and difficult. Minho had proven to be very resilient with his regeneration backing him up, as although they could hurt him, no blows could deal any permanent damage to him. Shirou would constantly slash at him with his blades, Leivinia would throw spell after spell at him, and Touma would alternate from blocking the curse master's attacks to punching him across the face.

The first event that went against the trio was when Minho doubled over in pain as his blue markings began to shine. He smirked after the little episode, announcing that the Lancer had died, before resuming his assault anew. Minho became faster and stronger, making the fight much more difficult, but they still held on and resisted his assaults.

It wasn't long until he doubled over in pain, just like before, but this time he looked up in apparent rage.

"You… bastards!" Minho threw out a large ball of energy that was easily negated by Touma's Imagine Breaker. "You bastards, you bastards, you bastards, you bastards, YOU BASTAAAARRRDS!" He screamed over and over again, unleashing more and more powerful spells each time. "How dare…. How dare you kill MY Euryale!"

"You've been causing deaths for others for years now, and suddenly when someone you care about dies, you flip your god damn shit? Do you even understand the definition of irony at this point!?" Leivinia shouted as she unleashed a blade made of air from her symbolic weapon that was currently in the shape of a sword, slicing open Minho's chest.

However, the wound quickly healed.

"SHUT UUUUUUP!" Minho screeched as he unleashed another spell. "It isn't just about her! Without her… without her!"

It didn't take long to notice; the command seals that Minho had on his right hand were gone. He wasn't a master anymore.

Which meant, even if the grail were to become fully powered, he wouldn't be able to make a wish with it. He no longer had the authority of a master in which to call upon the grail's power in its intended form.

He was eliminated, which meant his plan was now impossible, even if he was the Lesser Grail.

"Damn it… DAAAAMMMNNN IIIIITTTT!" Minho shouted loud.

"Eat this!" Shirou threw Kanshou and Bakuya, the two blades spinning through the air. Minho managed to dodge but Shirou responded by forming another pair of the two blades and charging ahead, slamming them down with all of his strength. However, Minho was more than able to catch them in the air, holding the red-haired magus at bay.

"Do you really think… that this would work!?" Minho spat with venom in his voice.

"A direct attack… wasn't my intention!" Shirou shouted. Shortly after, the two blades that were in the air began to fly backward, intent on returning to their master. They sliced off Minho's arms, causing the curse master to scream in pain as Shirou drove one of his own into the man's side, and used the other to slash him across the chest. The red-haired magus ripped the sword out of Minho's side and kicked him forward, almost sending him off of the rooftop.

"It's over! You've lost! Even if you get the last Servant you need, you can't use the grail anymore! Give it up!" Shirou shouted.

Minho suddenly shot up to his feet, smashing his head into Shirou's chest to send him flying backward.

"I'm not… done yet!" Minho shouted loud as his wounds healed and two new arms sprouted to replace his severed limbs. "If… if I can't bring back the gods… then I'll take all the grail's power for myself! I'll take it all inside! IF I CAN'T REVIVE THE OLD GODS, THEN I'LL BECOME ONE MYSELF!"

In his crazed rage, Minho unleashed a barrage of spells from all directions at the trio, each one more than capable of killing them.

But each one was stopped before they could hit their marks.

" **Luminosite Eternelle!"** Jeanne suddenly shot up from the hole in the rooftop and used her Noble Phantasm to block the blasts, her defenses proving to be quite effective at stopping Minho's curses.

"Damn it all… the fucking Ruler…!" Minho gritted his teeth.

"…I see; that is your wish." Jeanne commented. "But it is as you were stating before; Euryale the Archer has been defeated, and as such you are no longer a master in this war."

"Of all people you had to make it up here… fucking magic resistance…" Minho cursed. Even with as much power as he had gained, Jeanne D'Arc's magic resistance was still Ex-Rank, and as such, she would be completely immune to all magic spells, regardless of their power.

It wasn't long before the others all made their appearance as well.

"Minho… snap out of it. You've lost it..." Touma shouted. "Calm down… the war's over. Whatever kind of plan you are thinking of; you're not doing it in your right mind! It'll end in disaster! Just take a step back and calm yourself before you do something you'll regret!"

"Shut up… just shut up…!" Minho spat. "I'll kill you… I'll kill every last-"

A single Gandr shot from Rin smashed right in the middle of his face, breaking his nose.

"That's enough!" Rin shouted. She was about to speak more but Shirou stopped her.

"…Don't try and reason with him… its clear he's out of his mind…" He said.

"That just means we need to smack some sense into him…" Touma stated. "With all of us together, taking him down shouldn't be a problem… we just need to do something about the Greater Grail before we can really end this…"

Suddenly, Minho began to laugh.

"All of you, he says… all of you huh?" He asked in-between his laughs.

"Yeah, what about it?" Touma shouted.

"What "all of you?"" Minho suddenly turned serious. Shortly after, the mighty Gorgon from before suddenly shot up from behind the ledge behind Minho with a loud shriek.

Its eyes were on full display, and with its sudden appearance, there was none who didn't look into its petrifying eyes.

The effect was instant; most didn't get a chance to react as almost everyone was turned to stone.

The only ones who were spared were Touma due to his Imagine Breaker, and the two Servants Jeanne and Artoria.

"S-Shirou… Rin!" Artoria spoke in shock.

"You bastard… turn them back! Right now!" Touma shouted.

"Not a chance… I doubt you had a plan that just revolved around you defeating me with the group you had… how long until the wise queen descends down upon us?" Minho asked, not letting up on his serious persona.

Touma ran forward, racing toward Minho.

Removing the petrification would have been a waste of time. As long as the Gorgon remained, she would simply turn them back to stone.

So the only way to save them was to defeat Minho here and now.

"It's useless!" Minho announced as the Gorgon moved to stand on its serpent-like tail on the rooftop to act as a barrier between the three surviving members and the curse master. The Gorgon moved to slam its hand down on top of the unlucky Kamijou, but Jeanne shot forward, swinging her battle standard into the monster's arm.

"Touma, we need an actual battle plan! We can't just go charging in ahead!" She spoke.

"I know… but I can't think of anything…!" Touma shouted. "The only thing I have in mind would have to be Artoria-san's Excalibur… but the resulting shockwave would destroy everyone!" It was true; Excalibur's power would be able to obliterate the Gorgon in a single shot, but the resulting shockwave would knock over everyone in their petrified state, likely causing them to shatter upon contact with the floor.

The Gorgon swiped at the Ruler and knocked her back, and a whip of her tail sent Touma flying backward as well. The snakes that made up the Gorgon's hair shot forward to bite the two, but quick action by Artoria forced them back as she unleashing Invisible Air offensively against them. It quickly formed back together and wrapped around Excalibur shortly after.

"Are you two alright?" Artoria asked.

"I'm fine… but Jeanne is right; we need a plan." Touma stated.

"…I have one more Noble Phantasm." Jeanne announced. "But if I use it…"

"Then don't. Not unless it's absolutely necessary." Touma shouted, anticipating where Jeanne was going to take the discussion.

"All it will cost is my life, but it will certainly be able to defeat that monster… possibly even Minho himself… are you sure?" Jeanne asked.

"It is how he is." Artoria answered. "He knows you wouldn't be doing it just for him; you'd be doing it for everyone. But even so… he personally wouldn't be able to accept someone giving their life for his sake, isn't that right?"

"…I'm starting to think you know me a little too well." Touma replied as he scratched his head. "I want to make sure everyone gets out of this alive… and you're part of that everyone. It doesn't matter if your existence is temporary; I still think it's a life worth saving, understand?"

"…You are very kind, thank you for that consideration." Jeanne replied. "But that will still limit our options…"

"She is right; it will be difficult." Artoria stated.

"Are we going to complain about how hard it's going to be? Or are we ready to take the fight to that thing?" Touma asked.

"Sounds like you have something in mind… what is it?" Artoria asked.

"I won't be able to return Minho to normal and cut-off the supply of energy to the Gorgon as long as the Greater Grail is around… so we just need to destroy that first." Touma stated.

"Then you should be able to dispel all the power that Minho has gained, correct?" Jeanne asked. Touma nodded. "…Alright, I'll do what I can to keep everyone safe. Make it happen!" Jeanne suddenly shot forward, smashing into the Gorgon with her battle standard, forcing the beast back.

"I know how to get you up there so you can use Imagine Breaker… but I'll need you to hold on tight, Touma." Artoria stated. Touma nodded and wrapped his arms around Artoria's tiny frame.

"Sorry if it's awkward… I'm a fair bit taller than you." Touma stated.

"It's fine; I actually prefer taller men." Artoria stated plainly.

"…Eh? What was-"

"Strike Air."

"UGWAAAA!?" In an instant Invisible Air's compressed wind was unleashed all at once, sending the two flying high into the sky. They quickly closed the gap between them and their target as they raced toward the Lesser Grail.

"Don't tell me you bastards forgot about me, did you!?" Minho shouted, unleashed a variety of blasts into the air to intercept them. Touma was able to negate most of them with his Imagine Breaker, and the others exploded around them but otherwise they weren't affected. Minho cursed loudly.

"Damn it all!" Minho shouted. "Gorgon! Take them down! NOW!"

The Gorgon was engaged in a heated series of blows between it and the Ruler, but it did hear the order. Jeanne charged forward again, but this time the monster turned to dodge the strike and shot into the sky, using its wings to fly. The Gorgon rose quickly, catching up with the two in the air.

"S-shit!" Touma cursed as the Gorgon smacked the two out of the air. Saber landed and broke through the floor but it seemed that Touma had taken less of the force, but still landed harshly on the ground.

He tried to get back up on his feet, but was forced back down when the Gorgon landed and proceeded to slam its large hand down on top of him, holding him in place.

"So close… too bad!" Minho mocked.

"Touma!" Jeanne shouted, launching herself toward the Gorgon once more. However, the Gorgon's hair reacted violently as all the snakes began to fly toward the French heroine to attack her, forcefully keeping her at bay.

"Damn… it…!" Touma shouted.

"Alright. No more games… crush him." Minho ordered.

Touma cried out in pain as the Gorgon slowly began to squeeze the life out of the unlucky Kamijou.

Jeanne mentally cursed as she tried to deal with all of the snakes. To her, there was only one option left.

Her final Noble Phantasm: **La Pucelle.** It would use the sword at her side, and it would create an offensive interpretation of her burning at the stake. Holy flames would rise forth and destroy all that she genuinely thinks should be destroyed, and would do so without failure; it is likely that even Minho as he is now would be killed by the attack.

However, doing so will inevitably end with her death. In fact; it's use requires the her to offer up her life in exchange for its power.

She reached for her blade, preparing to unleash it, but paused when she suddenly heard Touma cry out a specific command.

After all; Touma had his own last resort as well.

"Damn it… I don't know if you're here but… by the order of this command seal… I order you… destroy the Holy Grail!" Touma shouted, invoking one of his command seals.

Minho chuckled at first at the attempt, but his smile faded when a bright red light filled the sky. A giant red beam of energy enveloped the Greater Grail in its entirety.

Minho looked up in confusion.

A single attack at completely eradicated the Greater Grail.

Minho turned only to see a golden ship flying and eventually slamming into the Gorgon from behind, forcing the beast to jerk up and turn in response. However, a man had jumped off the golden vessel just before impact, leaping toward the monster.

The Gorgon turned to only see a single man in golden armor and blood-red eyes, leaping at it with a cylindrical sword in one hand, and a scythe in the other.

It recognized the scythe briefly before it tore through her face, slicing its eyes apart. The Gorgon screamed in pain and began thrash about. Minho thought of it as a minor inconvenience, he noticed something.

Unlike all the previous strikes against her, the Gorgon did not regenerate.

"H-how… a wound like that should be nothing to her!" Minho spat.

"It is because of the weapon that was used… the Immortal Slaying Scythe, Harpe." Gilgamesh stated as he landed next to the unlucky Kamijou, holding Ea in one hand and the scythe over his shoulder. "It inflicts wounds that nullify the "undying attribute" of immortals and anyone slashed by it cannot be healed or restored by any methods other than healing in accordance to the natural laws… how amusing; the weapon that first killed the Gorgon has returned to claim its life once more."

"D-damn it…! Do you realize what you have just done!?" Minho spat.

"I have destroyed the Greater Grail, and permanently destroyed your monster's petrifying eyes… although…" Gilgamesh turned his attention to the unlucky Kamijou next to him, who was slowly finding his way back onto his feet. "Foolish boy… I was preparing Enuma Elish for the Gorgon, not the Holy Grail…"

"Oh I'm sorry… next time I'm being crushed to death trying to find a way out of it, I'll be more tactical!" Touma coughed roughly. "Cut me some slack will you…?"

"Not a chance; if I let up on you for even a second, you will stop evolving… count yourself lucky that you still hold my interest, for a mistake such as this from anyone else would have likely resulted with me killing them." Gilgamesh fired back.

"Damn it all…! So… so close…!" Minho spoke with apparent despair. His plan was now officially ruined. Without the Greater Grail, he would not be able to get the seventh Servant's energy, and thus would not be able to accomplish anything.

His entire plot had failed.

"…Gilgamesh. I hope you are not expecting gratitude for your actions…" Artoria spoke as she once more stood on the rooftop.

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine… one thing I will admit is that this way I can properly see this Minho's face contort as I slowly annihilate his last line of defense…" Gilgamesh stated. Harpe vanished from his grip, as did Ea.

"…Hey, Gilgamesh." Touma called out. "I have an idea… to keep Minho busy… it'll require a lot of distractions… but you're more than likely going to be busy with the Gorgon…"

"…Go on; revive them from their stone slumber. Crush this enemy with the numbers that make up the Kamijou Faction." Gilgamesh stated. With that, Touma made a mad dash for his petrified allies, eager to free them from their prison.

Minho racked his mind, trying to find out a strategy that could work. Even if his plan was now impossible, he still needed to make sure that he survived this ordeal at an absolute bare minimum.

As if to trample on his dreams however, a loud boom could be heard as without warning, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon suddenly appeared around the building. Several of its sides dug into several buildings, but left the one Minho had been using as a base unharmed.

One of the platforms that led inside was clearly visible, and the Wise Queen Semiramis was waiting for him.

Not only that, but the vast majority of those who had initially boarded the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were waiting as well.

"I hope you're ready you mindless dreg… this is the power of the wise queen Semiramis!" The wise queen shouted before unleashing a variety of spells to assault the curse master. Those on board began to move as well, eager to join the fight.

Touma was speechless. Did Roberto tell anyone at all what coming here meant!? Or did he tell them all and they simply decided to stay behind? Moreover; they all seemed perfectly fine working with Semiramis, despite her being the one who declared war and used him as a shield… what the hell happened aboard the Hanging Gardens of Babylon while he was gone!?

It didn't matter now though; as long as they were fighting as one, this only helped him. He needed as many people to create openings as he could get his hands on.

As he ran toward his friends, the first he came across was Shirou. He used Imagine Breaker and almost instantly, he was free.

"What… happened…?" Shirou asked as he was in a confused daze.

"A lot of stuff… everyone got hit with petrification, but now that she can't do that anymore, I'm freeing everyone. Greater Grail is taken care of, so now I just need an opportunity or two to punch Minho across the face." Touma stated.

"…I see… in that case, I have something." Shirou stated. "You can grab everyone else in a minute… but I have something that will give you all the openings you need, to either hit Minho, take down the Gorgon, or save everyone."

"Are you sure?" Touma asked.

"Yeah… but you can't tell anyone it was me who did it, alright?" Shirou said. "In all the chaos right now… who exactly pulled what I am about to do off will be really hard to figure out, and they can't put a sealing designation on absolutely everyone here without some pushback… so I need you to not breathe a word of it to anyone… understand?"

"…You didn't even need to ask." Touma replied. "You do what you need to do, I'll guard you as best I can."

Minho cursed over and over again in his head. He unleashed spell after spell, but the numbers kept flowing in; he couldn't stop it. His Gorgon could handle most off the offensive forces with her fame bonus, but the numbers they were facing were making his escape even more unlikely.

With the power he held, he could jump off the building and survive with ease, but everyone would see him and give pursuit. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to stand and fight with the Gorgon until an opening presented itself.

Minho shifted his attention over to Touma, thinking that if he could somehow take that boy hostage, he could force them to back down, at least long enough to make his escape. He threw a spell at the unlucky Kamijou, though he quickly noticed and negated it with his right hand. He then noticed Shirou standing in place behind Touma, reasoning out that the spikey-haired teen must have freed him with Imagine Breaker.

Shirou began a chant, and although Minho couldn't hear it, Touma could as clear as day.

"I am the bone of my sword…" Shirou spoke.

Minho unleashed a volley of spells, but Touma was able to stop them all. Minho didn't know what Shirou was doing, but was able to reason out that it was some kind of spell.

"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood. I have created over a thousand blades… unaware of loss, nor aware of gain…!"

Minho continued to unleash magic spells with reckless abandon, but they all failed. After a short time, several people noticed who Minho was firing at and began to attack him, forcing him to stop his assault.

"I have withstood pain to create many weapons, waiting for one's arrival. I have no regrets, for this is my only path. My whole life… was an **Unlimited Blade Works!"**

And in a single moment, the entirety of the rooftop was swallowed up by a blinding flash of light.

* * *

"What… the hell…?" Minho spat. "Where… where is this!? Some kind of teleportation spell…!?"

The barren wasteland that was the Unlimited Blade Works hadn't changed in the slightest. Dirt and swords as far as the eye could see; each one radically different than the last.

Minho's awe was cut shot as he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He jumped to the side to narrowly dodge a punch from Kamijou Touma. He attempted to cast a spell, but cried out in pain as several blades suddenly pierced him from behind, and shot him through the air. Before long the blades seemed to angle downward while they were inside him, and forced him into the ground, landing with a loud crash.

Minho was completely awestruck. He looked around, and noticed Touma was gone. He seemed to have used the cover from the sudden attack to vanish from sight.

He could however, see the other numerous people around, including his Gorgon; his monster was still fighting against its numerous attackers. Minho ripped the blades from his body as he began to search for the one who was behind this.

Suddenly, more blades flew towards him, although this time he was able to block the attack. A fair distance away, he saw Shirou, standing with Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands.

"The real fight starts now you bastard!" Shirou shouted as he suddenly shot forward, a barrage of blades following him quickly. Minho was able to block the assault, but suddenly more swords flew from other directions, running him through while he was forced to deal with Shirou's assault.

Across the field, the Gorgon was still engaging in battle as numbers began to slowly overwhelm it. Spells flew from all sides towards the beast and although it regenerated from every blow, it was growing increasingly agitated.

Jeanne and Artoria continued to attack the Gorgon with their weapons, but were quick to notice that the monster seemed weaker, and although it still regenerated, it did so slower. Its fame bonus appeared to have been stripped. It attempted to swing its massive arm down on top of Artoria, but a barrage of weapons blasted it back.

"Keep your eyes on the real threat you insufferable beast!" Gilgamesh shouted as his Gate of Babylon fired with full force. Numerous weapons tore through the Gorgon, and the ones that negated the monster's regeneration made themselves quite clear. The onslaught continued, but before long the snakes that made up her hair began to intercept the flying weapons.

At least they did before the saint William Orwell suddenly dropped down, slamming his large mace on top of the creature. The Gorgon hit the ground so hard it actually bounced back up into the air for a moment before the saint drew Ascalon from his back and began to rapidly slash at the creature, forcing it back.

The Gorgon took to the sky, but a powerful spell struck it's back, launched by Semiramis. It claimed one of its wings and although it could regenerate, the sudden loss was enough to force the beast back down to the ground.

More magi began to slam everything they had into the monster, and the saints had begun to join in as well. The Gorgon was still mighty, but the numbers against it made its victory seem more and more impossible.

However, the battle would not end as long as the Gorgon could regenerate from the damage it took.

"Jeanne… I know how to deal with the Gorgon." Artoria stated. Invisible Air dispelled, revealing Excalibur once more.

"What about our comrades…?" Jeanne asked.

"Those that see this energy will know to scatter… and to our petrified allies… I believe Touma is seeing to them." Artoria answered. "I simply request that you give me the cover I need… alright?"

"…Understood." Jeanne nodded, and once more she was back on the front line, swinging her battle standard against the mighty Gorgon.

Minho however continued his duel with Shirou, numerous blades constantly piercing the curse master's body. Minho roared out in anger, attempting to unleash a spell at point blank, but the even louder sound of a gunshot overpowered him and his arm was blasted off.

Although it was quick to heal, he turned around to see Hamazura taking aim with his metal eater, with Takitsubo helping keeping the gun steady. In the next instance, Kinuhata suddenly burst from the ground and slammed both of her fists into the curse master's torso, sending him flying through the air.

He came to a stop as he hit something, but all the force he was flying with was shot back into him, causing a great deal of pain. Minho turned around to find that the Accelerator as in his direct path of travel. The number one grinned wide as he smashed his fist into Minho's chest.

Due to the force of the blow, for a brief moment, Minho no longer appeared to be human. His regeneration quickly fixed that, but the pain was unimaginable. He was lucky that his brain was intact, otherwise he would have surely been killed. As he flew, bolts of electricity slammed into him, electrocuting him as he landed.

He looked up to see Misaka Mikoto unleashing more electric attacks against him, and he was quick to dodge. However, as he did Sogiita Gunha suddenly appeared, shouting "Amazing Punch!" and slamming his fist into the curse master's chest. An invisible force slammed into Minho's body, sending him flying before suddenly exploding, launching him farther. As he flew, Meltdowner beams from Mugino pierced his body all over. He landed with a loud crash, cursing over and over again; it felt like his mind was reaching its limit.

It was becoming clear that while the magi and Servants focused all of their efforts on the Gorgon, the Espers focused theirs on Minho himself. Although there were a few exceptions. This much was displayed when Leivinia Birdway suddenly appeared before him with her symbolic weapon in the form of a cup, unleashing a powerful torrent of water that engulfed the curse master and launched him up into the sky.

Leivinia wasn't done however as all the moisture form the water suddenly formed around him in the form of numerous daggers, and all slammed into his body, exploding on contact and sending Minho flying through the air once more. He landed with a heavy impact.

Although he regenerated from the damage, he felt the pain from every single blow. He slowly rose to his feet once more, breathing heavily.

"…Have you had enough…!?" Shirou shouted, appearing ready to attack him once more.

"Go to hell… GO TO HEEEEEELLLLLL!" Minho unleashed blasts of energy in all directions, hoping to hit someone or something.

The battle was quickly growing one-sided. The Gorgon was proving resilient to damage, but attacks kept flying towards it without delay. Saints pummeled and sliced it to ribbons. Spells kept blasting chunks of it away.

It couldn't win like this; eventually even the mana provided to it by Minho would begin to falter at this rate. However, even though it was the Gorgon, it was summoned as a Servant.

It too had a Noble Phantasm.

" **Pandemonium… Cetus!"** The Gorgon shouted loud as its entire body began to turn black. Its hair lengthened out and wrapped all around it as its body began to grow in size. The hair began to thicken and multiply, and before long the Gorgon's body could only be described as a mass of tentacles. They thrashed around wildly, striking the anyone happening to get close.

A single eye was visible, however this one did not apply the petrifying curse. Instead, it appeared to be gathering a large amount of energy for some kind of attack.

But, before such an attack could be unleashed, a giant golden light radiated outward as those fighting the monster began to scatter. The Gorgon focused hits gaze on the source of the light, preparing to fire the blast.

But before it could, it saw the King of Knights preparing her most powerful Noble Phantasm.

" **Ex…calibur!"** Artoria shouted loud as she swung her blade. A bright golden beam shot out from the blade and raced towards the Gorgon. On contact, the beam erupted into a giant pillar of light that engulfed the monster in its entirety.

There was no longer anything left; it could not regenerate from an anti-fortress Noble Phantasm of this caliber, even in its current massive form. A loud, horrifying scream could be heard as the blast completely incinerated its massive form. Not a single trace of it would be able to survive.

The force of the blast however proved to be too strong for Shirou's Unlimited Blade Works to handle, as it began to break apart as the pillar of light rose into the sky.

* * *

"G…Gorgon… m-my Gorgon… where… are you…?" Minho spoke in a terrified tone. Everyone had been returned to the normal world, but he too saw the giant pillar of light.

Finally, now that his plans had failed and his last bastion of defense had fallen, fear had finally returned to the curse master as he backed up slowly.

Everyone petrified had been freed. The Greater Grail was destroyed. His special Servant had been eradicated.

He had undoubtedly lost.

He only had one option now… he had to escape. Luckily, a thick cloud of smoke had covered the area, likely an aftereffect of the Unlimited Blade Works sudden cancelation, and he made his way over to the edge of the building, intending to jump off.

However, the sound of running toward him gave him momentary pause. He turned to see Touma, once more running at him in plain sight. Minho gasped and tried to jump, but was suddenly forced into a hold by someone else.

"You're not going anywhere you bastard!" Shirou shouted as he held the curse master in place, using every ounce of mana he had left to bolster his own body with reinforcement.

"Let me go! Let me go let me go let me go!" He shouted over and over again as he struggled. He eventually smashed his own head back against Shirou's own, freeing him, but before he could move, two blades suddenly fell from the sky and pierced his feet as well as the concrete below, pinning him. He quickly moved to pull them out, and although he was successful, it was too late.

"Do you really think the people of this world are that weak? That they're weak enough to be manipulated by you!? That's the kind of stupid crap someone who really doesn't understand people of this world would say! No-one gave you the right to judge the state of the world or its people, to use them as your toys, nor did they ask you to fix it for them! Can you really say the people of this world are weak after they stood up against a man who was gaining the ability to raise gods from the dead like you!? If you still think like that, allow me to shatter that fucked up illusion of yours!" Touma drove his right fist into Minho's face.

Imagine Breaker triggered immediately as all the blue glowing marking shattered instantly. Without the Greater Grail acting as anchor for the Lesser Grail, all the power Minho had accumulated had been completely obliterated in one attack, and Minho flew backward. He landed on his back, and laid their motionless.

Either due to all the stress from the situation, the force of the punch, or a combination of the two, Minho had lost consciousness.

The battle, as well as the Holy Grail War, was finally over.

* * *

 **And so that's the end of this Holy Grail War... this one was a tad long, don't you think?**

 **I'm going to do something a little bit special... I'm actually going to give a reviewer response a shot! So in your usual review, should you choose to leave one, if you have any questions you'd like answered, please leave them. If Chapter 31 doesn't answer your particular question, I'll try my best to answer it! To those who are guests here, please try to give your guest review a unique name so I know who I'm specifically replying too... just a little help for me. They will be placed at the bottom of Chapter 31, for those curious where they will be going.**

 **That said... we have one more chapter to go, everyone. I hope you'll join me for it.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Please review at your leisure; I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day, my friends!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


	31. A Certain Second War's End

**Here... we have reached The Empty Solution's final chapter. The Review Responses I Promised will be at the bottom authors note.**

 **Without wasting any more time... enjoy!**

* * *

"So… fucking glad that's done…!" Touma spoke as he fell backwards, landing on his back. He looked more than a little exhausted from the ordeal. "I'm sore all over… I might have to go to the hospital when I get home…"

The smoke had yet to lift, though it was doing so slowly. Most of the others were looking after the injured, while a select few were searching around. However, Touma and Shirou had remained undiscovered.

"Why not the one here…?" Shirou sat down next to the unlucky Kamijou. "Plus, that fall probably didn't help."

"Bite me; I'm tired." Touma replied. "…With everything that happened down below, there are probably going to be a lot of injured people… so they'll fill up fast. Plus… I kind-of have my own personal doctor I like to go to."

"Oh? How good is he?"

"So good that as long as you're alive when you reach him, it doesn't matter what shape you're in; he'll save you." Touma sat up. "He does good work; I can't recommend him enough."

"I'm assuming since you're so familiar with him that you're a regular patient of his?"

"…Don't remind me of that part." Touma sighed. The two sat in silence for a moment.

"…Honestly, I don't know how you do it man." Shirou stated.

"What do you mean?" Touma asked.

"You get into stuff like this all the time, right?" Shirou asked. "What I want to do most is to become a Hero of Justice… but I think even I would break after all the stuff you go through."

"…The disheartening part isn't that the stuff happens, it's that they happen when I want nothing to do with them." Touma replied. "From the sound of things you want to head out to find trouble… I just want to get through school without having to repeat a grade."

"Well, you could back out of some of those incidents you get involved with…"

"…Yeah, but I'd feel bad. I don't want to abandon anyone I happen to find in trouble… I don't think I'd be able to stand it, especially after all the stuff I've been through." Touma replied. "Plus… like with the magic god stuff I told you about, sometimes the trouble chases me down… no escaping from that. Such misfortune…"

"I guess so… heh; you're a hero who wants nothing to do with people's problems but at the same time you can't turn them away if you find them. Quite contradictory, don't you think?" Shirou smiled.

"I'm not a hero." Touma stated. "I'm fairly selfish… if I get involved with someone it's because I want to; that's it. Sure, I'd like it if I didn't have to deal with as much stuff as I do… but I also like helping people. I'm not one of those types that feels like he has to do something because I have a power… I simply just want to."

"…Hah, I'm in a different class, I guess." Shirou stated. "Back when I was a kid, a huge fire ended up killing my parents, but my dad saved me… do you remember Assassin from the illegal war?"

"Yeah… he ended up being your dad, right?" Touma asked. Shirou nodded.

"Yeah… I just… you could call it survivor's guilt, I guess." Shirou continued. "Since I was saved, I feel like it's unfair to the deceased to prioritize myself over other people."

"…Yeah, that's basically the exact opposite of me… I'm doing it because I want to, you're doing it because you think you should. Guess it makes sense that you'd try and go out of your way to save people… I just stumble upon them accidentally or someone drags me into it all." Touma stated.

"I just think it's unjust that some people have to die yet others don't." Shirou replied. "Ideally… I think everyone should be saved, or at least have the possibly of being saved."

"Sometimes that's not possible… but striving for the impossible is what has allowed us humans to progress this far, so maybe that line of thinking isn't too bad." Touma stated. "Just don't go overboard; I don't want you to end up like that old man or Albert."

"I got it, I got it. As you said, "don't think of the world as something so weak that it needs to be saved," right?"

"…You're mocking me, aren't you?" Touma deadpanned.

"Don't get worked up… I'm just messing with you a little." Shirou replied.

"…Also you're wrong; it isn't that ideally everyone should be saved, rather it's that ideally no one should ever need to be saved to begin with." Touma stated.

"…I guess you're right." Shirou blinked. "That'd make life for people like you and me a tad bit dull though, wouldn't you think?"

"Probably…" Touma moved to stand up. "You should take care of yourself though… I know you don't want to put yourself before others, but you have a cute girlfriend to look after… unless you're cool with other guys moving in on her when you're gone."

"Not a chance." Shirou replied.

"Don't forget about Artoria too. She's dependent on you and Tohsaka-san's mana."

"…Though you could just give Gilgamesh the boot out of your contract and forge one with her instead." Shirou stated.

"Do you want to deal with a pissed-off King of Heroes? Because I don't." Touma shot back.

"…Good point. I beat him once, but I doubt he'd fall for the tactic I used again." Shirou sighed, pushing himself up to his feet. "…You do have a point though… I want to save people, but the one I genuinely want to make happy is Tohsaka-san."

"Guess that means you just have to have to stay alive for your girlfriend's sake, eh?" Touma asked.

"I don't want to hear that from you… you're always surrounded by girls…" Shirou stated.

"Feh… as if that's any substitute for actually having a girlfriend… besides; having girls around doesn't matter that much if you don't like you." Touma waved Shirou off. "As if a girl would actually fall for me or anything like that."

"…You don't think any of the girls around you are into you at all?" Shirou asked, seeming genuinely shocked.

"Index bites me… Misaka shocks me… Fukiyose punches me… Hell; Leivinia uses me as furniture!" Touma replied. "There's Itsuwa and Kanzaki… but those two are way out of my league… the fact I'm friends with them is nothing short of a miracle. I don't think it's possible for a girl to be into me… so if I start thinking one is, I'm just setting myself up for disappointment, you know?"

Suddenly, Shirou had a revelation.

At first, one would think Touma was simply too dense to notice a girl being affectionate towards him. But by what he had just said, that appeared to be false. He did notice, and some part of him possibly wanted to believe that it was true, but he simply found such a thing to be impossible, possibly due to his bad luck. So whenever a girl was sending him signals, he convinced himself otherwise to avoid being hurt.

It was rather ironic, and a little bit sad. It was fairly clear that a lot of women had fallen for the unlucky Kamijou, but he was so afraid of being heartbroken he convinced himself that such a thing was impossible to avoid it entirely.

"…You really are a teenager." Shirou stated.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you think it means." Shirou replied. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself… you have some issues with luck, but you're a good guy. Have a little bit of confidence."

"Thanks for the support… but I'll wait until some proof shows up…" Touma sighed. The two began to walk; most of the smoke was gone and people could now see each other.

"So, there you two are!" Shirou turned to see Rin running up to the duo. "I was really worried… I wasn't sure what to do when Kamijou-san broke me out of my petrification, so I joined in on the magi attacking the Gorgon… what happened?"

"It's a long story… once everything has settled down, we'll go over it with everyone." Touma replied.

"About damn time you guys popped up… was worried someone snuck in and made off with Kamijou again." Leivinia was next to walk up to the group.

"Don't worry; I'm alive and kicking…" Touma replied. "How about you? Are you ok?"

"…I'm alright. Though you could look better." Leivinia stated.

"You saying I'm ugly?"

"I'm saying you look like you've survived a fight with a trash compactor." Leivinia replied.

"…Kind of felt like one for a little bit…" Touma replied, scratching his head in the process. "…I'm glad you're ok though. I was really worried about you."

Leivinia momentarily flushed red.

"W-well! Of course I am! Although, when I get back… I'm researching a cure for petrification… my shoulders are still stiff." Leivinia replied.

"Seems like he got to everyone… all's well that ends well." Shirou stated.

"Not… quite…" Leivinia approached Shirou. "So… want to tell me how you pulled that Reality Marble out of your ass exactly?"

"How did you-"

"I didn't." Leivinia grinned.

"…You little…!" Shirou clenched a fist.

"Don't worry… I'm not telling anyone…" Leivinia stated. "…For now." She grinned again, relishing in her status of superiority.

"Look… please, don't tell anyone. If word gets out, I get a sealing designation and wind up locked away until the day I die…" Shirou pleaded.

"…I suppose I can be convinced…" Leivinia replied. "…I could use that kind of firepower in my own cabal… not even I can use a Reality Marble, you know…"

"…Please tell me you're joking." Shirou stated.

"Not at all… the mages association is nice and all with its research, but they are severely lacking with the imagination side of things… they lock away anyone who gets their hands on a reality marble for study when they should be thinking of the application of such a thing!" Leivinia proudly announced.

"…Emiya-kun, please tell me you're not actually considering her offer…!" Rin held onto Shirou's arm.

"…Low on options… its either join her or face a sealing designation…" Shirou groaned.

"Birdway; no bullying." Touma stood over Leivinia with his hands on his hips.

"Hey, I'm just making him an offer! Anyone could find out about it at any time! Plus, if he joins me, I have the numbers to make even the Mages Association think twice about messing with him… especially when they remember that I openly attacked a cabal in retaliation for simply hurting my men…" Leivinia argued.

"…I have two more years with Clock Tower, then we'll talk about this again, alright?" Shirou stated.

"…I suppose that's an acceptable response. You need your time to learn and improve after all. Two more years with them might improve this little investment…" Leivinia replied.

"I said we'd talk about it… I don't even know what your cabal is all about." Shirou crossed his arms.

"Our goal is to eliminate the distinction and separation between the Science Side and the Magic Side, then rule over both of them." Leivinia stated. "You might not like the ruling part, but I'm sure even you can see that if these two heads of the coin could cut the bullshit and actually cooperate, a lot could get done, right? Lives could be saved ending the pointless conflict between them, don't you think…?"

"…Well, when you put it like that…" Shirou closed his eyes to think.

"Don't get manipulated, Emiya-kun." Rin warned.

"Who's manipulating who? Deal is two years. Let the man develop his own ideas… or are you the controlling type who needs the man to always agree with her? Fufu…" Leivinia mocked.

"…Don't make me give you a spanking, you little brat…!" Rin warned.

"Bring it on Thighs. I need a little bit more- Ow!" Leivinia cried out when Touma abruptly chopped her head.

"Stop picking fights with everyone! Seriously… we just got done with a war; stop trying to start a new one!" Touma shouted.

"Sounds like you want a piece- ow ow ow! Ok, ok! I'll stop!" Leivinia cried out when Touma began to repeatedly chop her head. He held her stinging head with both of her hands.

"I'll leave whatever arrangement you have with Emiya-san between you two… but for now, just take it easy with the haughty antics, alright?" Touma asked. Leivinia turned away from the unlucky Kamijou with a huff. After a moment Touma began to gently pat her head, and the blonde cabal boss began to blush.

"…Fine, but only because you actually have a point, alright? Don't misinterpret my generosity." Leivinia replied.

"…Kamijou-san can be persuasive when he wants to be." Shirou blinked.

"I still can't believe he's friends with her…" Rin sighed.

"…If he can get along with Gilgamesh, he can get along with anyone…" Shirou concluded. After a moment of thought, Rin nodded in agreement.

"…Truly, if he can accomplish such, he indeed has the patience worthy of a Saint." Artoria finally broke away from the pack to join the group. She was followed closely by Index and Yukiko. Othinus was once more riding on top of Index's head. Although Artoria stopped to stand next to Rin and Shirou, Index and Yukiko made a mad dash for the unlucky Kamijou.

"Touma! Are you ok!?" Index asked.

"I'm fine… just a little roughed up… heh…" Touma replied as he still gently patted the blonde cabal boss' head, which seemingly pacified the normally violent Leivinia Birdway.

"…Onii-san! Pat my head too!" Yukiko cried out.

"Hey, he's helping sooth the sudden headache I happen to have; back off." Leivinia shouted.

"…Heh, enjoy his hand, because I have exclusive rights to something else." Othinus stated before jumping off of Index's habit and grabbing ahold of the unlucky Kamijou's jacket and climbing up, taking a proud seat on Touma's shoulder.

"…No fair, you can only do that because you're small…" Yukiko stated solemnly.

"…Why am I the object you're all fighting for?" Touma sighed. The group continued to converse with each other as Semiramis watched from a fair distance away.

"…While I'm happy that the ploy to convince all of these people ally with me was a success… I can't help but be annoyed by the fact that my master has too become attached to this boy…" The wise queen spoke with venom clear in her voice.

"Don't be so harsh on her… you too once had affection for someone, correct?" Jeanne spoke from behind.

"…For your sake, you better be referring to Onnes. For if you are referring to Ninus, I'll kill you where you stand." Semiramis stated clearly.

"I am fully aware… sorry if it seemed insulting." Jeanne replied.

"…As long as it is true affection she holds; I suppose I can yield on my criticism since she is my master." Semiramis replied. "Onnes may have been an older gentleman, but he was the first one to see me for who I was; most just coveted me for my beauty, Ninus included. I will never forgive Ninus for causing Onnes' to commit suicide."

Yukiko was still conversing with the group, but turned to see Semiramis' frustrated look, and was quick to run over to her.

"Is everything ok, Onee-san?" Yukiko asked. Semiramis sighed and began to pat the young girl's head.

"Everything is fine. Don't worry." The wise queen replied.

"…I know it does little to change your situation due to the fate of the Greater Grail, but the last two Servants perished here. As such, you and your master are the official winners of this Holy Grail War." Jeanne stated.

"I suppose an official victory is comforting, but with little to show for the effort I can't help but say this entire thing was a waste of time." Semiramis replied.

"…I don't mind; I got what I wanted in the end." Yukiko stated as she hugged Semiramis' leg. "I got an Onee-san, and I got an Onii-san! Wish or not, I'm happy!"

"…Ordinarily, it would be impossible for even of first-rate mage to maintain a Servant without the grail… but her existence is an abnormality…" Jeanne thought out loud. The wise queen began to watch the girl for a moment.

To be honest, she was already aware of her victory; she had been weighing her options constantly as the events unfolded.

She didn't have a wish for the grail; just a chance to act in the world once more was more than enough for her. But the plots she was involved with were foiled, and now the war was over.

She toyed around with the idea of simply returning to the Throne of Heroes, but she also entertained the thought of finding a small nation to take over in an attempt to lead it on a conquest just to simply see how far she could press it.

It would be difficult; she had a glimpse of the powers that existed in the modern world now, and she openly acknowledged that such an act would be the hardest thing she did.

But there was a third option that she admitted internally that she found unusually appealing as well.

"…It has been a very long time since I have raised a child. Are you sure you want me around?" Semiramis asked.

"Of course! Onee-san is amazing!" Yukiko cheerfully replied. The wise queen sighed before rubbing the little girl's head once more.

"I'm starting to think I've become soft…" She stated. "…I suppose the only child I had was with that bastard Ninus… raising another can't hurt that much…" Yukiko smiled wide and began to nuzzle into the wise queen's leg. Semiramis smiled lightly as she began to think.

Their cooperation with the magi here was at an end; likely they could come to arrest both her and Yukiko for the invasion. If they wanted to live in peace, they would need a hiding spot far removed from the country.

"…Well, what do we have here?" A voice called out. A fair distance away, Gilgamesh stood with a noticeable smirk.

"…The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh." Semiramis spoke. The wise queen felt nervous with the sudden appearance of the King of Heroes, as she was the only who paraded Kamijou Touma around as a hostage, and it was abundantly clear that Gilgamesh was the Servant belonging to that very same boy.

There were many who would still want revenge for the incident in the United Kingdom, and one would reason that Gilgamesh would be among them due to the circumstances of his existence.

"…I don't know how you arrived here with those forces so quickly, but to be honest I don't care." Gilgamesh stated as he began to walk towards the two. The King of Heroes opened a rift to his right hand reached inside as he walked. Semiramis prepared a spell and Jeanne called forth her battle standard. They were ready for a fight, but paused when he revealed what he had reached for.

A simple gold locket attached to a necklace. He held out the necklace toward the little girl next to Semiramis.

"…For me?" Yukiko asked. Gilgamesh simply nodded. The icy magician took the locket and the King of Heroes began to walk away, making progress over to the group Semiramis was watching.

"…What was that about…?" Jeanne blinked.

"I don't know, but he would not do that out of the goodness of his heart… he's up to something…" Semiramis spoke. After a little bit of fiddling, Yukiko managed to open the locket and a small folded piece of paper dropped into the girl's hand. She opened it up and began to read it, and after a moment her eyes widened and she began to smile.

"What does it say?" Semiramis asked. Yukiko handed her Servant the note and Semiramis read it as well, the wise queen raising an eyebrow.

Gilgamesh continued to walk, but his smirk widened a little.

For Semiramis' statement was true; he did not offer that gift simply out of the goodness of his heart.

Everything he did was with purpose, but what that purpose was wouldn't be understood for quite some time. But for now, he simply made his way over to the person he was tied to.

"…Hey," Touma called out to the King of Heroes. "What's up? I expected you to be on your way already."

"Is that simple expectation? Or were you wanting me gone?" Gilgamesh asked.

"Expectation. After the last war was over you were quick to skip town." Touma replied simply.

"I simply wanted to enjoy a small bit of the scenery before I left. I have traveled to many places since we last saw each other, but I have not yet been to Athens. I was simply enjoying a small preview before I partake in an extended stay here is all. I'm not quite finished with the United States of America." Gilgamesh replied. "Although… they do have a crime problem… I've been running into men who attempt to assault me for my valuables… the annoying mongrels refuse to leave me be no matter how many of their allies I annihilate…"

"…Hah, that make more sense than it should." Touma sighed. "You're not killing them, are you?"

"As if they are worth the time… they all go down so easily; it would be an insult to myself to use my treasury on them." Gilgamesh replied.

"…Good… anything you do gets traced back to me by association…" Touma rubbed his neck. "You going to be heading back then?"

"I may stay for a while, but before long I'll be returning to America." The King of Heroes replied.

"…Just remember; taking down street thugs is fine, but if you start any trouble anywhere, I'm coming after you." Touma stated.

"Hah! You only have one seal left, boy. Are you sure you want to be giving me ultimatums like that in your situation?" Gilgamesh crossed his arms.

"One seal is all I need to stop you." Touma replied. A short silence filled the area, and it was only broken when Gilgamesh began to laugh.

"As I expected… strive to not disappoint me, Kamijou Touma." Gilgamesh shouted loud. After a moment he faded away as he changed into spirit form, leaving the area.

And it appeared to be just in time too; as the hordes of people that had come to save Kamijou Touma were finally ready to move on him in mass.

 **-Epilogue-**

Shortly after all the people had left the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the large fortress suddenly vanished without a trace, and Semiramis and Yukiko disappeared with it. Mysteriously, all the magi who had allied themselves with Albert Radcliff and the Sage of the Wildwood appeared sprawled out all over the rooftop, as well as across several floors of the building. Though some were difficult to find, but every head was accounted for. With the Gorgon's death, those who suffered from petrification were freed once more, though an explanation for what they had experienced was another matter entirely.

It was revealed that Semiramis purposefully sent a dove familiar that hid itself from the group, and that she had cast a spell to transfer what it saw to the Hanging Gardens itself. When the forces eventually marched on the Throne Room, she purposefully let the footage play while she worked on the Bone Boat with Othinus and Index, saying that if they wanted to truly save Kamijou Touma, that they must spare her. They begrudgingly accepted her terms, but did so with the intention of capturing her and her master after the event was all said and done.

It was easy to figure out that after they had all disembarked from the fortress, Semiramis used the Bone Boat to escape, and took the Hanging Gardens of Babylon with her. There were some stories spread around shortly after that the fortress sunk into the ocean somewhere between France and the United Kingdom, and although there were higher than usual levels of magical power in the watery divide, no one was able to find the fortress.

Similarly, Semiramis and her master, Yukimura Yukiko, were just as mysteriously absent.

Lazarus Wolfchild, his sister, Victoria Wolfchild, and their subordinate, Dand Kokinos, were absent from the building. In their place, Albert Radcliff was discovered, unconscious. He, along with the Sage of the Wildwood, were taken in by the Anglican Church, along with the rest of the magi who allied with them. Sentences varied wildly for all those involved, but these two, judged to be the true masterminds of the plot to take over the United Kingdom, were sentenced to life imprisonment in the Tower of London for their crimes not only against the UK, but against the world of magic as a whole.

Minho however, had a unique fate. As a rare specimen, as he was the only person ever to be turned into a Lesser Grail and survive, was taken in by the magi of Clock Tower with a sealing designation placed upon him. There, he would be studied endlessly to try and replicate the feat of the support system he crafted to save his own life.

Jonathan "Joe Joe" Bone, after his recovery, quietly returned to the United Kingdom with little fanfare. It wasn't long before he found himself in guard and mercenary work once again, but it was noted that his list of jobs he would normally accept had changed dramatically, more than likely due to the events of the rather unorthodox conflict.

Initially, the Mages Association wanted to seek out a sealing designation on Lazarus Wolfchild for the fact that his status as a magician/esper hybrid was revealed, but with the information provided on how he achieved such, their desire for it waned before dropping off completely.

In the months to come, the name "Solution to Nothingness" once more began to be passed around, but the status of the cabal's leadership was unknown to the public.

 **-Solution to Nothingness Mansion, The Next Day-**

"…So, you're going to leave us, huh?" Dand asked. The innocent members of the Solution to Nothingness stood amongst the charred remains of their former base. It wasn't hard to give the magi in the upper floors the slip and quickly return to the United Kingdom for Lazarus and his companions.

"…All of this was our fault." Victoria answered. "We feel that we are unfit to walk amongst you… let alone act as your superior…"

Lazarus nodded in agreement.

"Where will you both go then?" Dand crossed his arms.

"…We don't know." Victoria shook her head. "But… we don't wish to be more of a negative force than we already have."

"…Is that so…" Dand stroked his chin.

"It is… thank you… for everything Dand. That from both me and my brother… without you… my brother wouldn't be here… I hope that we will be able to see you again someday." Victoria bowed respectfully.

Slowly, the two began to float up, getting ready to leave, but before they could take off, the giant red-haired man shot forward, grabbing the former cabal boss' leg and flipping him over his shoulder and slamming him into the ground. Victoria gasped in shock as the telekinetic force keeping her airborne suddenly cut out, causing her to fall.

"H-hey! What was that for!?" Victoria shouted. Lazarus appeared to make a just as confused and frustrated look to match the words his sister spoke. Dand began to laugh.

"When a leader of us resigns… leadership defaults to the highest ranking member until a formal decision can be made by the majority of the remaining members." Dand stated as he let go of Lazarus' leg. "That means me… and while I have no choice but to accept your resignation as leader, that doesn't mean I have to accept your departure!" Dand smiled as he looked back at Victoria.

"What… are you going on about? After everything that we caused-"

"Yes; the turn in our followers does indeed lie with you two, I won't try to deny that." Dand began. "But while your actions were selfish… you fail to realize that every single one of us are selfish too! We exist to fill the void in our hearts… the thing that makes us all individually incomplete that we can't stand. While we wish to bring our findings to the world as well, the focus on ourselves is absolute; we come first. We are a cabal based on selfish desires from the start; I don't think any one of us would do anything differently if we were put into the same position."

Several of the other magi began to nod in agreement, some vocalizing it.

"You see? If you are at fault, then all of us are. Those that betrayed us? They were selfishly pursuing their own goals and desires too… hell; the former boss who saved Lazarus only did so after he secured that you would join if he succeeded. He did it only for himself, the sake of his cabal! If you're unfit to be with us, we might as well all head our separate ways!" Dand stated.

Lazarus sat up and began to look around. Victoria heard his brother's thoughts and vocalized them.

"…Do you… all still want us here?" She asked. Several smiles broke out as several other members replied with a firm "Yes." Dand chuckled as he helped Lazarus to his feet.

"All we do is behave selfishly… and sometimes that attitude of ours leads us into trouble." Dand stated. "All we can do is move forward selfishly, and learn lessons from our selfish actions until we reach our goal… only then will we no longer need to be selfish anymore."

Dand put his hand son his hips and spoke simply.

"After all; we are only human!"

 **-Streets of Athens-**

"…So, what happens now?" Hamazura asked. He, along with Takitsubo, Kinuhata, and Mugino were wandering around the city with Jeanne D'Arc. She had not faded away just yet, and it was revealed that the entire group wouldn't be able to return to their respective countries for another day due to all the chaos spread by the Gorgon the night prior, so they decided to explore what they could of Athens while they were there.

"Well… to be honest… I wanted to give a sincere thank you for everything… and your kind words. It has been a long time since I have felt truly part of a group of people... no, a group of friends." Jeanne smiled. "…But… I also wanted to give a sincere goodbye as well."

"Goodbye…? You're super getting ready to leave, huh?" Kinuhata asked. Jeanne nodded.

"As much as it pains me to admit it… my time here is not indefinite. I can last a lot longer due to my class, but eventually my spirit will leave this body, and this girl will return to normal." Jeanne answered. "I still do not know if Laeticia will retain my memories with an ending like this… but the possibility remains I suppose."

"…So want us to call you Jeanne or Laeticia? That's my main question." Hamazura stated.

"You may call me whichever… both are technically correct after all." Jeanne turned to face the dirty blond. "Even though this is goodbye… I would like to again thank you for everything… as well as for the kinship you shared with me… even though our homes are countries apart, it warmed my heart to find you being so hospitable… thank you."

"…You'll fade over time, right?" Mugino asked.

"Yes… for some reason I lack the ability to depart on my own, but eventually the mana that allows me to remain will leave me… it's inevitable." Jeanne replied.

"…Then this doesn't really have to be a goodbye, right?" Takitsubo cocked her head to the side. "You can join us back in Academy City if you wanted."

"Ah… but Laeticia has her own class-work for college back in the United Kingdom… I don't want to inconvenience her more than I already have… it was a stroke of luck that allowed this all to take place during her winter break." Jeanne answered.

"Could always transfer out; depending on the field, Academy City should super honor any college credits you have." Kinuhata stated.

"But… Laeticia lacks funds for such a thing… Academy City education would be expensive, wouldn't it?"

"…You can leave that to me if you really want." Mugino stated.

"R-really?" Jeanne seemed shocked.

"Yeah; you'd be surprised how many people would be willing to give someone a free ride to avoid being melted down into the base components of the human body." Mugino stated.

"Oho! Don't know how, but it looks like you won over Mugino! Not many people super pull that stunt off!" Kinuhata joked.

"I-I don't know about others being threatened just for my sake…" Jeanne stated.

"We will figure something out then. It's up to you… want to join us in Academy City before you head back?" Hamazura asked.

"Do you… really want me to come with you?" Jeanne asked.

"Why would we offer if we didn't you country bumpkin?" Hamazura smiled. Jeanne's look of surprise quickly changed to that of a smile.

"…City slicker." Jeanne replied. Hamazura smiled back as Jeanne moved close to the group. "Takitsubo… I know how you feel about stuff like this but… can I?" She nudged her head towards the dirty blond.

"…I suppose I can handle it just once; go ahead." Takitsubo replied Hamazura looked between the two with a confused look.

At least he did before the saint suddenly hugged the dirty blond.

"Thank you! Thank you for everything! I'll do my best!" She cried out happily.

Hamazura looked on red-faced for a time, but smiled regardless. The group of five then moved to have their own fun to celebrate a new addition to the ITEM crew.

 **-The Next Day-**

Just a friendly reminder; the life of Kamijou Touma was riddled with nothing but misfortune.

All those involved with the conflict booked their flights back home when the airports opened up later in the previous day, Touma included. He was taking a supersonic jet back to Academy City along with the other level 5 espers. Leivinia Birdway and Mark Space were also going to be joining them, with Leivinia wanting to pay her sister a visit to see how her recovery was going.

However, Kamijou Touma making it to his destination on time, even if he left early, was impossible right from the start.

First was a sudden appearance from Lessar, who tackled him to the ground in the middle of Athens, wearing a provocative outfit as she tried to drag the unlucky Kamijou into an alley, shouting that she intends to take his first time and use that fact to convince him to join New Light.

Lessar's plan was to force Touma to join, and if he didn't, reveal what they did to the local authorities. Lessar was only around twelve years old after all, and she intended to abuse that fact thoroughly.

The unlucky Kamijou however made a run for it, Index following close behind as Othinus rode on the boy's shoulder. They made turns all over the place in an attempt to ditch the magician, and eventually it seemed to have worked.

However, the next person to find them was none other than the Almighty Thor, who commented how disappointed he was that he couldn't have a one-on-one with the Gorgon of Greek mythology. Thor smiled the entire time however, and simply asked if Touma intended to pay him back for going out of his way to try and save him.

Touma, reasoning out that Thor's idea of pay-back meant a fight with him, turned around and ran away once more. Thor proved to be a lot harder to ditch then the twelve-year-old magician, but through unknown means, Lessar found them again, and upon realizing Thor intended to start a brawl with the unlucky Kamijou, attacked the lightning god, shouting that she can't let the newest prospect to New Light be torn apart by a battle-maniac like Thor.

Touma turned briefly to see their fight unfold, and promptly decided the best thing he could do was to leave the area, using their conflict as a cover.

However, their effort was for naught, as due to the constant running around, the three had missed their flight back to Academy City. They were able to exchange their tickets for admittance for the next flight, mostly due to the unique flight-management-structure in place for travel to and from Academy City, but it didn't change the fact that they had to wait at least three hours for the next flight.

"…You know, we showed up early to ours so we could say goodbye to you." Rin spoke in an annoyed tone.

"…I know… you told me… I'm sorry you were wrapped up in my misfortune…" Touma sighed.

"That Thor really is a pain… and what's this about a twelve-year-old trying to force you to sleep with her?" Shirou commented, his lack of belief quite evident with the second half of his statement.

"You can call bullshit all you want, but I had a front-row seat." Othinus chimed in.

"She's twelve… twelve year olds shouldn't behave like that… what is this world coming to?" Touma asked.

"All the girls that surround Touma are so troublesome…" Index stated.

"You should have realized something like that would have happened and came early." Rin stated.

"We did… such misfortune…" Touma sighed again.

"At least they let you do an exchange… are you sure you'd rather return home instead of spending your vacation with us?" Artoria asked.

"…I appreciate that, but I had some things I wanted to get done with my winter break. Maybe if I can manage something during the summer I can drop by again… and hopefully under better terms." Touma replied.

"If you're in the area, just give us a call; you can stay with us as long as you want." Shirou replied.

"…Thanks, I appreciate it." Touma replied. An announcement was heard over-head, saying that a flight to London had begun boarding.

"That's our ride. Too bad though; I was hoping to see you three off instead." Shirou said.

"Oh well… at least the situation is dealt with." Touma replied with a smile.

"Well… knowing you another one will kick right up around the corner." Rin stated.

"…Eh, misfortune is a fact of my life, but not much can really happen now I think, at least with the magic side of things." Touma shrugged his shoulders. "What could possibly happen? It's not long a heatwave could hit the city just conveniently as a legion of white monsters invade it, right? If something does happen, it'll probably be minor."

"Just remember if you need a hand, those supersonic jets can get any of us there in two hours. All you need to do is ask." Shirou mentioned.

"I'll keep that in mind… take it easy guys!" Touma waved goodbye as the three began to walk over to their terminal.

Artoria however, suddenly paused and turned to look behind her. She suddenly turned around and approached the group once more, eventually moving to stand next to Touma.

"…Listen… I've been debating this considering everything that has happened… but…" Artoria trailed off, appearing red-faced.

"…Hey… are you ok? You don't have to be so nervous… it's just me, after all." Touma stated. This seemed to catch the King of Knights off guard for a moment. She still had a blush on her face, but she slowly began to smile.

"…This may sound like I'm repeating myself, but with everything that happened with Mordred… and you helping to save my home as well, despite being the one in the most peril… so I think you have earned this… thank you." Artoria smiled.

She then pulled on Touma's collar to bring him down and kissed his cheek.

To say that the unlucky Kamijou was caught off guard was an understatement. His face flushed red but before he could say anything, Artoria had already sped off to rejoin Shirou and Rin, leaving the red faced Touma behind.

"…Hehe… I knew it, you know?" Rin stated when the King of Knights had returned.

"…Stay out of my personal affairs. That's the last time I'll be warning you…" Artoria warned.

"Oh come on… don't be like that! I'm rooting for you after all!" Rin cheerfully replied.

"…I suppose I have thrown myself into a competition with many contestants, haven't' I?" Artoria mused out loud as the three walked. "Oh well… I have already put myself forward… all I can do is see how he reacts the next time we meet."

"…Heh, I learned something about him after everything was said and done… It's something you'll have to deal with… but I'm sure you'll pull through." Shirou stated. "For now though… let's head home."

"…Yes, let's." Artoria replied happily as they flashed their tickets to the attendant and moved to board the aircraft proper.

Touma however only stood in a state of shock, one hand on the cheek that had just felt feminine lips not too long ago.

"What… was that…?" Touma thought as his cheeks continued to burn. To say he was confused was an understatement.

It was impossible for a girl to fall for him… right?

But at the same time, what Artoria had done more or less proved that wrong… right?

But he couldn't let himself be fooled and lead into disappointment… right?

Could… could it actually be that-

A sharp pain coming from his right hand snapped the unlucky Kamijou out of his daze. He shouted in pain as he noticed Index biting down on him.

"Ow! Index!?" He shouted.

"Stupid Touma… stupid, stupid Touma!" Index whined.

"…The human's power over women has struck again… not even the legendary King of Knights is immune…" Othinus stated, anger clear in her voice.

"Hey, listen! I have no idea what you two- ow, ow, OW!" Touma cried out as Index but him again and Othinus began to twist and pinch Touma's ear.

This continued for a time as the unlucky Kamijou tried to defend himself. Before long, Touma's own flight was called and the three made their way over to the terminal.

Surprisingly, the King of Heroes himself was actually waiting just outside. He was wearing civilian clothing, but it was still clear that it was none other than Gilgamesh.

"What are you doing here? I figured you'd be off amusing yourself in the city somewhere." Touma asked.

"I saw your encounters earlier… figured you'd be late heading back late because of it… happened to be around and hear about a flight to Academy City and decided to stake it out just in case." Gilgamesh replied.

"Ok… that covers the how… but I was asking why." Touma replied.

"Oh? Does my presence displease you, boy?"

"I'm just curious… you're not the type to give a proper send-off." Touma shot back.

"Give me more credit than that… if I truly didn't care about your existence, I wouldn't have bothered to travel to the United Kingdom in the first place." Gilgamesh stated.

"I… I guess you really did save us back there… and with the Gorgon…" Touma rubbed his neck.

"Exactly. Do not question a king's hospitality; simply nod and accept it happily. The fact that I arrived at all is a sign that I consider you above the other mindless mongrels that pollute this world." Gilgamesh replied.

"…Right… sorry, and thank you for your help." Touma stated and the King of Heroes let out a small laugh, seemingly accepting it. "…Say, you still have your spirit form right…? I'm heading home… you want to come with?"

"…Hmm? I could remain in spirit form to bypass having to cover my expenses… though that hardly matters to me and my Golden Rule skill. But… why do you ask?" Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow, evident of suspicion.

"I just figured I'd offer. It's been awhile and I figured you'd be dying to amaze us with the astonishing new adventures of the King of Heroes." Touma replied. "I was planning on cooking something special up to celebrate everything being over; you can join us if you want."

"The fact that I am in the story at all should signify its greatness alone." Gilgamesh replied. "…While I do not need food… I am intrigued. What did you have in mind?"

"Wasn't sure; I'm open to ideas… I'm not the best cook around but I'll make whatever you want as long as I can get the ingredients… I have to keep my budget in mind…"

"Fool; with me around money is of no consequence." Gilgamesh stood up fully. "You have perked my interest. Lead the way, Kamijou Touma."

Gilgamesh returned to his spirit form and the four then boarded their flight, eager to return to the City of Science.

 **-A Certain Apartment-**

"W-what… what is going on here!?" Touma shouted. He was immediately suspicious when he found his door unlocked. He prepared for the worst as he walked inside, but was met with quite the surprise.

"Welcome home, Onii-chan!" Yukiko was sitting in front of Touma's television. To make matters worse, Semiramis was there as well, reading one of Touma's various manga volumes with a bored expression on his bed.

"W-what are you two doing here!?" Touma shouted.

"As much as it pains me to admit it… Yukiko wanted to see you. A blond boy of about your age let us in… he had the stench of blood and lies on him, but at least he could reliably open up the door without setting off any kind of alarm… it was like he had a key." Semiramis replied, flipping the page. "…Art-wise, this "Manga" as you call it is alright, but the story could use some work… I figured a female protagonist would be able to elevate the quality a little bit…"

"…Blond boy… that damn Tsuchimikado…!" Touma cursed. "W-wait, how did you even find this place anyway!?"

"Oh! The blond man gave me a locket with a note!" Yukiko answered. "I love it… it's so shiny… heehee!" She had the golden necklace on display around her neck.

"…Gilgamesh." Touma slowly turned around.

"Just be sure to live up to your end of the bargain; make sure this danger-prone boy doesn't find himself kidnapped again." Gilgamesh replied. "I don't have the availability to bail him out of trouble every time, you know."

"…Now I don't know who I want to punch more… Tsuchimikado or you…!" Touma spat. To this, Gilgamesh simply let out his usual laugh, which seemed to irritate the unlucky Kamijou more.

"Touma… we can't have them living here permanently… can we?" Index asked.

"…Tonight should be fine because Gilgamesh offered to buy…" Touma began. "…But if we add more mouths to feed… even if Semiramis only does so on occasion… I…"

"W-what's with this obvious death flag!? D-don't trail off like that; you're scaring me!" Index cried out.

"…It also might become a case where the space we have is too small…" Touma stated dryly. "…We might have to eat light for a while…. at this rate I'm going to have to save up to afford moving to a larger apartment…" Touma sighed heavily.

"Eat… light…!?" Index cried out. "Nooooooo! Touuuummmmaaaaa! Your misfortune is spreeeaaaddddiiiinnngggg!" Index began to cry.

And so, those that lived in the Kamijou Residence begrudgingly welcomed two more people into their home. And while they were fearful for how things would progress from here, for the moment they enjoyed a brief reprieve from the harsh world.

It was a good thing too; they needed some time to relax before an unfortunate heatwave suddenly hit Academy City in the middle of December.

* * *

 **And that is our ending for The Empty Solution... now; I believe I promised some reviewer responses, right!? I'll be listing them in order in which they were posted on chapter 30:**

 _CleverPervertedPriest:_ SPARTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

 _shiroryuu012:_ The Answer to your first Question will be discussed later, my Friend. As for Kanzaki... I admit that I should have spliced her in a little bit more since I went out of my way to include her... but I feel that way about a lot of the Kamijou Faction; it's mostly my fault, but know she was there and she was involved with the final confrontation with the Gorgon. As for the kind of girl Touma likes... I've heard so many different Statements both by him and those around him, I just decided to leave my own with this story. As for a Zero and a Hero sequel... I'm open to it, but I don't think there's enough content in My Hero Academia right now to further expand upon... we will have to wait and see if I decide to revisit it.

 _Guest:_ Oh nameless guest... why couldn't have you left a name behind... But regardless, thank you for your kind words! I hope you enjoyed the conclusion!

 _dickythamrin077 :_ I have never actually seen meet the Spartans... but i'm more than familiar with the 300 movie. As for what happened at the Palace... basically; Artoria and Touma where denied entry, but Artoria didn't want to give up, thinking that whatever happened Touma would be able to smooth over because of his connections to the family... so they broke in... but unfortunately they broke into Carissa's room, while she was changing to less! So they had to escape from an infuriated Carissa... and the rest is history, as they say.

 _Mr.X:_ And I have a list of answers!

1: I believe you did... sorry that I failed you sir...

2: I understand that I was, and sorry of that got a little repetitive... but with multiple people trying to change the world, It kind-of had to be repeated. Have to make sure those illusions remain nice and shattered, you know!

3: ...I had had not thought about that. Another kind of Fate/Index crossover is not off the table, but I'm not sure. You DID remind me of Mina Mathers though... maybe there's something I can do with that...

4: It wasn't a lip-kiss, but the events above answered that question, didn't they?

 _Mr. Self-Deprecation:_ Did I make this story to use the "This Is Sparta Line?" No. Did I include Leonidas after a recommendation from my Editor/Friend Zeus so I COULD use this line? YES.

 _G119:_ I love this story too... Thanks for reading! And thanks again for being a fan of my work since I did Forgotten all those years ago!

 _Superpeirce:_ A difficult question that I can only give my interpretation on as an answer. My way of thinking would classify Divine Spirits as Divine Beings who ALWAYS existed as Divine Beings, and were never truly mortals, while Magic God's are Human Magicians that eventually became divine beings through their dedication and sacrifices. As for your second question... you are free to judge me negatively, but I do not know what Gaia's Reality Marble is... sorry for the disappointment here.

 _MrQuestionMark:_ Seriously glad you enjoyed this! Not going to lie; I was super tickled by most of your reviews because you made it clear what you were expecting, and I just LOVED tripping up your expectations! And thank you for your kind words... Minho was always a little bit twisted, wasn't he? It was just the power of the grail that made him jump off the deep end of his sanity... only for his twisted delusions to be shattered. Thanks for reading, my friend!

 _DejDem:_ Questions back at 29 huh? I see... The question Who Jeanne has a crush on here is a good one... isn't it? Too bad I'm not saying anything... because I'm pure evil! Though it's... probably not hard to figure out. Details for a possible 3rd story are discussed below, so Hopefully that answers those questions. I feel most of your other questions were probably answered above but there is something I'd like to point out as a fun fact about this story's development: There was actually a hard choice to make in the plot direction revolving around whether or not Mordred would live or die... obvious as you saw, she passed on, but if she had lived, the idea was that Leivinia would steal Albert's command seals and forge a contract with Mordred, as I feel like those two would be very compatible. The references to her wanting a Servant were left-over form this stage of development but I decided to leave it in as a fun little Easter egg... it's fun to think about what could have been, don't you think?

 _A Certain Guest:_ Hey; Artoria goes after Shirou in the Fate route of FsN after all... not that hard to imagine, isn't it? Fun fact about my development process: I actually write out the story in its entirety before I start uploading in most cases, so mostly everything is set in stone before I start uploading... but I do make changes to things before their final upload date on occasion... but this is why there is a big gap between my stories, but when I do upload I usually do so very quickly. As for what the Magic God's would do upon being brought back... I think both of those options are perfectly valid and acceptable. As for Solomon's Rings... well; lets just say research into them played a role into how Aleister plotted to defeat the Magic God's, and laave the rest up to our imagination...

 **And that's everything... Sorry for those who don't get a reply, because the review responses here are/were made the day that I uploaded this chapter. As for those asking if there will be a third story... while I am working on some ideas, I'm afraid I can't promise anything. But I will confirm that if I do make a third, it will be the last one in this series.**

 **My last statement... is actually a question from me to you all: in The Illegal Grail War, what the title represented was rather clear-cut and dry; a reference to the event as a whole. However... the meaning behind The Empty Solution is a little bit... mysterious, isn't it? That's what I would like to ask:**

 **In your own words... what do you feel was the Empty Solution? I'm interested to see what your mind's can conceive when trying to piece together this one final question...**

 **With that... The Empty Solution is Completed. Thank you all for reading this far, and for your support; I really appriciate it.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed. Review at your leisure; As always, I still enjoy feedback.**

 **Have a good day, my friends! I will see you in another story!**

 **Sincerely,**  
 **ArmoredCoreNineBall, your friendly (not)robotic (not)overlord (possibly)person who occasionally writes things.**


End file.
